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
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