# How do you support tomatoes?



## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

So every year I grow a bunch of different varieties of mostly heirloom tomatoes, like 1 plant each of 10-15 kinds, many not red.

Traditional tomatoes cages we all know don't work for indeterminate varieties.

Have some concrete reenforcing wire, thin 6" square opening panels that have sort of worked.
Plan was to go to cattle panels this year but around Memorial day I hurt myself(back) and had to rely on my wonderful wife and kids to plant all the stuff I had started. I was flat on my back and couldn't even go out and coach. Plants are in, were stunted by being put in late and are not trellised yet. I still can't do much, surgery in a couple days will make me less able for all of July.

Please give me some simple ideas I can get my wife or Dad to implement. Is a single 8' stake good?


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

My wife uses 3 stakes and twine to hold them up near the end. Works great. The store bought cages are only good for the first bit.


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## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

Does she tie them together at the top and make a teepee or drive the stakes deep for strength?


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## Bug pumper (Jul 2, 2018)

We drive them in and the twine gives it strength at the top as well as holds everything together.


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## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

Thank you.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I made stakes from a 1/2 PVC pipe cut at 45 degrees. It is so cheap that I made one for every plant. I use bread twist ties things to hold the tomatoes to it.


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## abstract (May 31, 2020)

A bit late to this, but I have eight foot stakes that work well, I tie the plant to the stake as it grows, every couple of feet, no need to teepee. My tomatoes are are a bit leggy, as my garden plot gets a bit less sun than optimal, best I can do with our tree canopies. Pretty sure I got the stakes at Home Depot - the shorter ones are for the netting to keep the dogs out.


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## BobLovesGrass (Jun 13, 2020)

Thank you. If the single stake works for you it can work for me, have pretty dense clay to support it.


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## thebmrust (Jun 29, 2020)

I tell them I appreciate them, that they are worthy and encourage them so they can grow up to be any...

Oh, wrong kind of support.&#129300;&#128514;


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

I have these

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-8-ft-Green-Colored-Sturdy-Stakes-ST8VG/203894426

One for each plant and then I train each to one stem. I use this to train them:

https://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-Rapiclip-Light-839/dp/B000RUFDI2

Another option if you haven't planted yet would be to just plant determinate tomatoes this season. If you plan properly with crop times and stagger plantings you could be getting a great yield into early fall. They will most likely not be heirlooms though.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

These have caught my eye, but pricey!

https://www.gardeners.com/buy/titan-tall-tomato-cages-set-of-3/8599860.html


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

corneliani said:


> These have caught my eye, but pricey!
> 
> https://www.gardeners.com/buy/titan-tall-tomato-cages-set-of-3/8599860.html


These do look sweet. I have had them in my cart a few times only to balk at spending $250 on my tomato cages (I usually grow 6 indeterminate plants). I am considering taking an afternoon and building some nice 8 ft tall ones out of cedar one of these years. But for now, the single stem is working for me. It is more maintenance to constantly go out and prune the suckers but its manageable now that I am still WFH for the foreseeable future. I do feel like it has helped me avoid diseases better than when I let them ramble.


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## Ngilbe36 (Jul 23, 2020)

I have tried a few different ways. Cages suck imo. My favorite way is to build a overhead gantry kind of thing and have string running down tied to the base of the tomato plant. Keep wrapping the string around the plant as it grows and it gives it plenty of support. There are a bunch of tutorials to doing this way on youtube. Its easy and effective.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

I use a combo of cages, hardware cloth/metal u-channel stakes (critter control), 8' plastic landscape stakes, and natural twine to create a trellis. I "halo" the plants when they rise above the cages and tie them into the trellis, until they run on the twine trellis.


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## thebmrust (Jun 29, 2020)

We actually used hog panel and t-posts. The issue is if the plant grows taller than the width of the panel. So either prune aggressively or plant smaller growing varieties (if that's even possible).

You can also use longer posts and lift the panel off the ground. Plants won't really need support until they are a foot or so off the ground.


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