Tomato Staking, a question for gardeners

[CalicoKat]

I was over enthusiastic when I planted tomatoes and now I need to find an inexpensive but effective way to stake these before they become monsters.

 

Yikes, I planted 42.

 

Peppers still need to be planted -- do I stake those too?

 

And the tomatillos will bring to +10.

 

I have my kids out cutting branches right now but I'm not sure if that's the right thing to do. No matter, we'll need those branches too for the pole beans.

[fairfarmhand]

you are going to have tomatoes coming out of your ears!

 

I use metal Tposts used for fences.

 

Your tree branches probably will not be sturdy enough to support the tomatoes.

 

 

You can also buy some sturdy dowels at the hardware store.

 

Peppers need no staking.

[bnrmom]

I used branches one year and it did not work. The tomatos were way too heavy and the whole thing fell down. I don't know where yours are planted, but you can do espalier if they are in a row. I use cages, but only have 10 plants and use one cage for every 2-3 plants.

[The Girls' Mom]

We planted nearly 60 plants ourselves :lol:

 

Anyway, We ended up driving large wooden stakes into the ends of each row (these are 6ft long stakes, about 2 feet into the ground) and tying baling twine between the stakes in two rows. Then we drove bamboo stakes (much cheaper than cages) by each plant and tied the stakes to the twine. We will shore things up as needed.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Apryl H

[LostSurprise]

Long bamboo poles (come several to a pack). Tied on with strips of old nylons.

[alpidarkomama]

That's what we have now too! The tomatillos are just now giving enough for salsa and our 3+ feet tall (not staked). :)

 

In the tomato bed, I put posts every 4 feet. Then I took twine and wound it once around each pole at 1 foot above the ground, then wound back the other way so that there were two lengths of twine to go on either side of the tomato bush at 1 foot. Then ditto for 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet... Haven't needed 5 feet yet! :) It's very cheap and easy and keeps the tomatoes up.

 

I've never staked my peppers.

[Blueridge]

I have used both cages and cheap stakes with twine, and cages were definitely easier for me, but more expensive. You can make your own from chicken wire, bent into a tall cylinder. Once I found bundles of long tobacco poles that were great, but that was in Virginia where they were common. You have to find stakes long enough to bury deeply so they won't tip over. Lowe's has all kinds of wood strips that can be cut for free. I'll give this suggestion a bit hesitantly because I have never tried it myself, but I know quite a few people who have. They don't stake or cage them at all, and let them run along the ground! They all put a heavy layer of partially rotted straw (no active seeds in it) or even black or red plastic sheeting around each young tomato plant as a mulch and weed repellant, and then the plants lay off the ground and on the straw or plastic. This takes a lot more space than a traditional tomato bed, but they say the yields are high. Just thought I would mention the cheapest alternative I know. :)

[Mimmy]

I've tied up my tomatoes a bunch of different ways. I've used cages- not my favorite due to the cost of big enough cages especially with 40 plants. I've tied the tomato plants to a chicken wire fence. The fence did a great job of keeping the plants upright but it was difficult to pick all the tomatoes. I have individually staked the plants but the stakes ended up being too small and many of the plants ended up collapsing.

 

This year I pounded in metal t-posts spaced every 2-3 plants and rigged up heavy wire to the stakes. I am attaching the plants to the wire with rope and tomato clips.

[Kebo]

I've got 40 tomato plants this year, most in cages. But, good cages aren't cheap .... so, I think a weave might be the way to go. Here's a link with pictures (scroll down to the Florida weave):

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/supporting-cast-for-tomatoes.aspx

 

Have fun!

[Lady Marmalade]

I almost avoided this thread because usually I click on threads that mention "tomato staking" and they definitely don't turn out to be about tomatoes!

 

I planted 71 tomato plants last week!

 

I've used many methods over the years to stake my tomatoes. The most inexpensive and very effective method I've found is to use the "Florida Weave". Here's a great video on Youtube that shows how to do it.

 

Your peppers shouldn't need staking, but if they get floppy for some reason, tying a plant to a 3 foot pole is usually enough- the small tomato cages that don't work for tomatoes also work well for peppers.

 

Tomatillos can sometimes need a stake, but again, like the peppers, usually just one pole next to the main stem of the plant is more than enough. When my tomatillos get loaded with fruit they tend to topple over in the wind. I like to buy bamboo poles from my garden center for both pepper plants and tomatillos. They're really inexpensive, come in different lengths and last for years.

[Amy in NH]

Long bamboo poles (come several to a pack). Tied on with strips of old nylons.

 

:iagree: