3 Ways to Support Tomatoes

Soon your tiny tomato plants will transform into gigantic bushes. Help them grow by giving them some extra support.

Tomato plants often bend, lean or even break as fruit matures. To help your plant from being damaged, get to know the tomato you’re planting. Indeterminate plants will continue to grow and will benefit from some support, while determinate tomatoes may be just fine on their own.

Use tomato cages, wood or metal stakes, or a trellis to give plants extra support. It’s really a matter of preference which one you choose. The most important thing is that you’re keeping plants off the ground to avoid pests, diseases and rot.

Put supports in your garden before or at the same time you plant tomatoes. Tomatoes will be easier to maintain, prune and harvest.

Stake

Choose 6’ to 8’ tall stakes made of wood, plastic or bamboo. Or, create your own from recycled materials.

1. Pound stake firmly into the ground, about 12” deep, beside tomato plant.
2. Tie stalk loosely to the stake using twine as soon as flowers appear. Stakes will bear the weight of plants as they grow, preventing branches from tipping and breaking.
3. Continue tying plants to stakes as they grow.
4. Water tomatoes regularly and fertilize with Tomato-tone every two weeks.

Cage

Cages can be purchased at your local garden center and they’re easy to remove at the end of the season and store for next year’s use. Choose metal, wooden or plastic tomato cages. Metal cages often hold up better and last longer, but are prone to rust.

1. Choose 6’ cages for indeterminate and heirloom varieties.
2. Plant tomatoes and center the cage over the center of the plant.
3. Depending on the full grown size of your tomatoes, set cages about 4’ apart.
4. Push the tomato cage legs into the dirt until the bottom rung is even with the base of the tomato plant.
5. Water tomatoes regularly and fertilize with Tomato-tone every two weeks.

Trellis

Trellising your tomatoes offers them support and is a great way to maximize small spaces. They keep tomatoes off the ground and allow for easy pruning.

1. Push two 6’ poles or wooden posts into the ground, about 10’ apart. Poles should not wobble.
2. Tie wire or twine between posts, adding lines across the top, bottom and middle.
3. Plant tomatoes along the length of trellis.
4. Water tomatoes regularly and fertilize with Tomato-tone every two weeks.
5. As plant grows, train stems by attaching stems to the trellis using twist ties, wires or twine.