Staking and Supporting Tomatoes

One of the first questions I get from new gardeners is about staking tomatoes. There seems to be a little bit of confusion out there about what types of tomato plants should have a support structure. It does not matter if you are planting and cultivating the indeterminate, vine-like tomato plant, or if you are growing the "bushy" determinate variety, you will still want to use some kind of support mechanism for your plants. Some gardeners will tell you that you only need to stake indeterminates, but I would recommend making a habit of staking all of your plants. Any time a part of your plant touches the ground, it is at much greater risk of disease and insect infestation.

So, that begs the question, "What are the best methods for supporting tomato vines in gardens planted at home?" Whatever staking technique you use will be an individual decision. However, I will tell you about a couple techniques that I like to use. The first one of those techniques I will talk about,which is probably one of the more common ones you'll see. You will need to select a stake that is three to six feet in length. Choose a longer one for indeterminate type tomato vines. Any kind of material works, you can use old fence posts, wooden stakes, or plastic ones purchased at a home improvement store. It is vital to make sure the stake is buried at least 12 inches beneath the soil, this way the post will not fall out easily or blow away with strong winds or during storms. Make certain to install each stake as early as possible in the springtime, while your tomato plants are still young, so you won't need to worry about harming the plants or roots with the stakes. After the tomato plants begin to grow higher, you can stabilize the plant's stem to each stake. The best method for accomplishing that is by using fabric-made ties, or ones specifically made for gardening. If you do not have any ties for your tomato stakes, you can use pantyhose too. Make sure you do not tie your tomato plants to the stakes with materials like twine or metal/wire. Those types of material will cause damage to your plant. Make sure the plants aren't tied up too tight, just enough to keep them upright. You want to allow the plant to grow, so if you loosely tie your ties about each one, using a figure eight knot, your plants will be secure and will grow without hindrance. Also, make sure the tomato vines are not growing along the ground. If any plants end up growing above the stakes, you can prune off the top parts of each plant.

The second method for staking tomatoes I will mention is known as caging. It is slightly pricier and requires a bit more work to get set up, but this technique is an extremely effective method for keeping tomato plants growing upward. You'll need to pick up a couple of rolls of metal "concrete mesh", which can be located at most home improvement centers. First, you will trim the mesh down to create five foot lengths, using bolt cutters to trim the mesh. Next, trim the bottom parts to make it easier to place into the ground. Enclose two to three of your tomato plants into one five-foot piece of caging and then drive the metal fingers (at the bottom) into the ground. As each plant grows higher, you can weave each stem into and through the mesh. That will help your plants continue to grow without being hindered, in a straight and upward direction, along the caging. That will keep your tomato vines off the soil and permit sunshine and proper amounts of airflow to get to each branch, which results in healthier and stronger plants and even more tomato production.

If your garden is still producing tomatoes when the first frost of the year arrives, you may have the capability of extending your gardening season if you have used the caging method for staking tomatoes. The key to this is to enclose the cages with plastic during the night hours, which protects the tomato plants and their produce from evening and early morning frost. In reality, you have developed a kind of "quasi-greenhouse," which could possibly help you get two or three additional weeks of gardening in during the year, depending on your local climate.

If you have not thought about staking tomatoes, might I suggest that you consider either caging them or staking them this gardening season? Your tomatoes will be extra productive and grow more vigorously. They will be less susceptible to pests, diseases, and mold, and you'll be growing even bigger, more delicious tomatoes than ever before.


For more of Mike Mazzaro's tips on staking tomatoes, and other helpful information on tomato gardening, visit TomatoGardeningSecrets.com