How do you support your tomatoes?

[Tamra]

I mostly grow indeterminate tomatoes, so they need a lot of support, especially in the fall when we tend to get a lot of wind. I have tried many different staking methods and have yet to find one that I just love. I prefer a method that is easy to move around so that I can rotate my tomatoes.

THANKS!!

[Ted McDaniel]

4-5 ft. tall 4-square type wire fencing. I make 2 ft diameter cages and place them side by side, connecting them with the loose wire I cut. If the space between wires is not big enough to get my hand through while holding a tomato I cut a few wires to expand the holes.

You can unroll them or just flatten them a bit and store them out of the way after the season is over.

[Tamra]

I cannot believe I did not think about cutting holes in the wire. I have tried the cage method as you described, but getting big tomatoes out was hard. I cannot believe I did not think of such an obvious solution.

How do you keep these from blowing over? I am usually ok until fall when we get strong winds.

[Eliza]

I'm not sure if the fencing wire referred to here is different from concrete reinforcing wire, but that is what I use (also formed into cages, and also 5' tall). The holes are large enough that I haven't had any difficulty getting even the most massive of tomatoes through the openings. (Though rarely, if the tomato ripens too close to the cage, it forms around the wire.)

If you have trouble with the cages blowing over you can hammer a rebar stake into the ground inside the cage & tie the cage to it.

[Tamra]

Rebar, that is a great idea. Where do you buy this wire? I have looked and looked and everything I see has wires that are closed together than you describe.

[Eliza]

I got mine at Home Depot. Ask an employee to show you where the concrete reinforcing wire is, it might not be where the fencing wire is located. Also tell them you need it to have wide holes for tomato cages, maybe there are different sizes.

[Tamra]

Thanks, I will check HD. I think I must have purchased fencing wire. The cages I have already made will do for tomatillos and cherry tomatoes. And I will make more with new wire and rebar for by big slicers.

[Michelle W. Flannery]

Tamra, if HD doesn't have what you need, look for a Tractor Supply store. They are very small farm/gardener friendly. I get a lot of my supplies there.

[John Walker]

There should be an article written by Roger Postely about making tomato cages somewhere in the KGI archives.
Basically use 6 in reinforcing mesh , cut into 4ft 6in lengths with a bolt cutter and hook the free ends of the mesh around to the other side. You can cut the bottom layer of mesh to make 6 in spikes to put in the ground or use a long stake.
http://www.chigiy.com/the_gardeners_anonymous_b/2007/08/how-to-make...

hope this helps
I have tried almost every cheap method and some not so cheap. Now I would use nothing else

[Tamra]

Ok, thanks I will stick with the wire cages, I will just make them better.

[Lisa Fagan]

I use the concrete reinforcing wire, staked with metal fence posts. Then when tomato's get bigger I use pantyhose as a sling or hammock of sorts tied to the cage. It supports the tomato and still allows air and sunshine to do it's thing! Using the ones with runs is a great way of recycling! I use strips of pantyhose to tie up lots of plants, and it doesn't damage the plant as it grows!

[Eben Erhard]

I find a support made out of 1" x 2" lumber works well. I built a couple of that look similar to a step ladder except that they are 8' long. The basic structure uses 4 legs--2 pairs hinged with a bolt & wing nut a foot and a half or so from the top. The sides then have 1" x 2"s spaced every 18 inches or so up the sides. The nice thing about this structure is that it folds up for easy storage in the winter.

[Tamra]

I have heard of this method and wondered how well it worked.

How many plants can you get on it?

Do you plant anything under it?

Why is it bolted 1.5 feet from the top of the pole? Why not at the top? Do you have 1x2 cross bars above the bolts?