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Staking Tomato Plants - Tomato Cages

Gardeners always seek to maximize their harvest, and to produce the healthiest fruits. For tomato gardeners, staking tomato plants is an absolute necessity.

Some people (a very small minority of tomato gardeners) grow tomatoes plants without providing support. Fruit that touches the ground, is easily accessible to ground insects and pests, most notably slugs. Fruit resting on the ground can rot, and often gets damaged or ruined by contact with the soil.

The vast majority of us use tomato supports. There is a wide array of tomato supports to choose from. There is no consensus on the best type of tomato support. However,  for staking tomatoes, tomato cages are by far the most common means of supporting tomato plants.

Did you know? Many varieties of tomato plants will grow six to eight feet in a season. They can't reach their potential, without some form of support.

Regardless of the method you use, it is also important to prune tomato plants. How to prune tomato plants


Ways to Support Tomato Plants:

Staking Tomato Plants:

Staking tomato plants is fairly simple. Use a stake that is four to eight feet long. Pound it firmly into the ground near the young tomato plant. Make sure it is deep enough in the ground to support a big plant, heavily laden with fruit. As the plant grows, use garden twine, or soft cloth strips to tie the main stem(s) loosely to the stake. Tie the stems to the stake every several inches. Tie them loosely, to avoid strangling the stems. Tomato Veggie rings are relatively new on the market, and work great with wood or metal stakes. Buy Veggie Rings 

Tip: Stake tomato plants very early in the season, to avoid damaging or disturbing the roots. 

Caging Tomatoes:

Beyond a doubt, a tomato cage is the simplest way to support your tomato plants. Due to it's simplicity, it's the most popular means of support, too.

There are two types of tomato cages- wire cages and plastic veggie cages. Both are easy to use.

For wire cages, just bend the legs a little to spread them out. Then, stick them into the ground.  It's easy to train the main stems to grow inside the cage. The bigger the tomato plant, the bigger the wire cage. While tomato cages start at three feet, many tomato varieties grow much larger. Keep this in mind when buying wire cages. You may want to drive a stake into the ground, for additional support. At peak season, weight of the plants and fruit, can cause the wire cage to bend and fall.

For veggie cages, a garden stake is pounded into the ground. Then, the veggie cage is easily lifted up to several feet tall, and fastened to the garden stake. During the season, train the main stems to grow inside the veggie cage. More on Veggie Cages

Storage can be an issue. Wire tomato cages can be stacked. But, they still take up a fair amount of space. Plastic veggie cages fold down, and take up almost no space in your shed.

More on Veggie Cages - Makes caging tomatoes a cinch.

Buy Veggie Cages and Veggie Rings 

Tomato Trellis:

Similar to wire tomato cages, tomato trellises are constructed of a thicker, stronger (usually) metal material. They are obviously more expensive. They last longer, and are more attractive in appearance, to many tomato gardeners. 

Fencing:

Some people, especially gardeners in urban settings, will grow tomatoes along a fence. As the plant grows, the main vines (branches) are tied up to the fence. It is effective, and helps to best utilize limited space.   


Related Topics:

Learn all about growing Tomatoes:

Tomato Recipes:

Veggie Cages Throw away the wire and hoop tomato cages. This revolutionary cage expands a whopping 7ft! Stores flat in almost no space. Try them on sweet peas, tomatoes, pole beans, and other climbing climbing flowers and vegetables. It  folds dow to store away in practically no space at all. More on Veggie cages

Buy Flower, Vegetable and Herb Seeds Ferry Morse seeds, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee to grow". Better quality, better prices.

Frost Jackets can be used weeks before the last spring frost.

Buy Frost Jackets


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