Tomato Staking

[cynlee01]

I just read about the stake & weave system. Has anyone tried this? I use tomato stakes, but the plants always end up falling over & making a mess. Will rebar work better than the wood stakes? Thx.

[rainbowgardener]

I use cages and then when the plants are getting big, stake the cages to reinforce them.

But here's a couple posts about Florida Weave, another suspension system for your tomato plants.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=71902&highlight=florida+weave+tomatoes#71902

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=71011&highlight=florida+weave+tomatoes#71011



Do you have tomato plants needing staking already?

[cynlee01]

Heavens, no! Just thinking ahead to a neater crop! Thanks everyone.

[GardenGeek]

And here I got one link for you which first tells you some advantages of staking your tomato and will also give some tips and techniques of how to avoid the problems with it.
I hope it helps you

https://home.ivillage.com/gardening/veg/0,,6xk7,00.html

[hendi_alex]

Baskets made of concrete re-inforcing wire continue to be my favorite. Posts are put in the ground at each end of the row and a wire is run through the top sections of each basket. Then twist tie the basket to the wire. Plants are well contained, the baskets never blow over, and it only takes about 20 minutes to set baskets for 10-12 plants. The baskets last for well over ten years and the nice large squares allow easy access to the fruit. As an alternative, for a single basket, I drive a t-post in the ground and twist tie the basket to the post. That has worked very well also. It would seem to me that t-posts are a relatively inexpensive, permanent solution to many staking issues in the garden.

[gixxerific]

Baskets made of concrete re-inforcing wire continue to be my favorite. Posts are put in the ground at each end of the row and a wire is run through the top sections of each basket. Then twist tie the basket to the wire. Plants are well contained, the baskets never blow over, and it only takes about 20 minutes to set baskets for 10-12 plants. The baskets last for well over ten years and the nice large squares allow easy access to the fruit. As an alternative, for a single basket, I drive a t-post in the ground and twist tie the basket to the post. That has worked very well also. It would seem to me that t-posts are a relatively inexpensive, permanent solution to many staking issues in the garden.

hendi how do you get them into squares? I have a roll of concrete wire, but was just going to make circles out it.

[hendi_alex]

Mine are in circles. The concrete wire is made of nice large squares that are easy to reach through. Some people use 2 x 4 weldwire to make the hoops. Those make it difficult to reach in and harvest the fruit. Also, the small gauge wire doesn't last nearly as long as concrete reinforcing wire. I cut sections of wire ten squares long and then bend them into hoops, hooking the cut wire and bending around the opposite end section to hold the hoop together.

[gixxerific]

Doh! I thought you made the cages into squares, kinda wondering how that was possible. I agree with the hole size. Don't know what I was thinking.

[tn_veggie_gardner]

I find that cages, along with stakes (one for the main stem & a few around the outside, intertwined in the cage) work great. =) A lot of people sing the praises of Florida weave systems, so maybe look into that too.

- Steve

[TZ -OH6]

Many people swear by Florida weave, but it didn't work out for me trying to grow large, widely space plants. I got frustrated trying to weave them early in the season and ended up caging them. I stake about 1/3 of my plants (trellis 1/3 and cage 1/3). I find staking to be pretty easy, pruning the plants to 3-4 vines per plant and then tying them off to the stake each time the top growth threatens to flop over. If you are having trouble with stakes falling over when the plant get large you can run a waist high line (rope or clothesline cable) down the row between two secure posts and tie off each stake to the line. This way you can get away with using thinner stakes (e.g. bamboo instead of 2x2s)

[bigdoug]

I hear ya TZ-OH6. I experimented with the florida weave on a row of my heirlooms last year and it was a disaster. The plants just get too heavy for it. That and the fact that the twine has to be so taught for it to work that it starts to cut into the stem of the plant. I would definitely advise against the florida weave. Or any other weave, your hair looks fine as it is;)