Some tomato plants really don’t need staking, due to being bush type or determinate plants. However, when you grow some of the mid to late season heirloom tomatoes, which are, quite often, indeterminate or semi-determinate, you’ll find that the plants will grow to amazing heights and begin to sprawl all over the place.
So in order to keep those precious tomatoes up off the ground, we need to stake them up and train them to grow where we want them to. There are many reasons for staking and of those, first and foremost, is that it keeps your tomatoes in a smaller space rather than sprawling all over the ground. Another very important reason is that while keeping your tomatoes up off the ground, this keeps them cleaner and ground critters (wood lice, pill bugs, as well as rodents) are less apt to nibble on them. It also prevents your tomato plants from retaining water beneath them and rotting the fruit before ripening. The other very important reason for staking is that when your tomatoes grow, they become heavy. Higher tomatoes can break branches from the plant. So if they are resting on or tied up to another support rather than your plant itself, you don’t run the risk of losing those prized tomatoes.
There are several ways to stake your tomatoes, so I’ll give you some ideas on some of them.
If you have decided to use tomato cages, you will need to stabilize them as the indeterminate plants grow in size. The easiest method to do this is to weave wood stakes, rebar or cut conduit through the rungs of the cage, down into the soil. This will keep the cage from tipping over as the plant gets large on the top.
As your tomato plants grow, simply coax/train the branches up and over the wire rings.
Wood or Metal Poles
Another method of staking I use on my out of control tomatoes is slat material. While not tattling on myself for out of control tomatoes, slat material, combined with tomato cages, works beautifully. Slat material is about $25 for 100 pieces, so it’s cost effective as well.
With the slat material method, you will need to tie or clip the stakes to the stakes and/or cage. I would recommend cut or torn strips of cotton fabric (sheet, t-shirt) tied around the stake and carefully draped around the tomato stalk.
If you don’t use clips, 1 inch strips of cotton fabric works well around the plant. Either cotton sheet or T-shirt material works well.
If you tie the branches to the stake, always make sure to only drape the strip of cotton fabric around the stalk, under a sturdy stem. Do not wrap the fabric around the stalk, but only around the stake.
Ranch Fencing or Concrete Reinforcing Wire Tomato Cages
You can also use Ranch Fencing or concrete reinforcing wire, to build your own tomato cages. Just remember to find fencing that has large enough holes to get your tomatoes through. It comes in heights of 48 inches as well as taller and to use it, simply cut a piece about 37 – 40 inches long. This will make about a 12 inch circle to fit over your plant. Twist the cut ends together and create a circle. Place around your tomato plants. You’ll probably need some reinforcing sticks or bars to keep them upright, but they do work quite well and help to keep larger critters from munching on your precious tomatoes.
Wood Ladder Style Frames
Wood ladder folding style Tomato frames are unique. They actually form an A frame over the top of the tomato. They can be folded up at the end of the season and stored in a very small area. Mother Earth News has a nice how to on building them.
Want to find out more about growing heirloom tomatoes, then visit heirloomtomatopatch.com on how to choose the best staking tomatoes for your needs.