> Next: Beds and Containers
Tomato Supports
On this page find how to install supports for slicing, cooking, cherry, and miniature tomato vines after planting, including:
-
- Why supports are necessary for most home-grown tomatoes in household gardens.
- Choosing tomato supports, poles, cages, lattices, trellises, and strings support options.
- A step-by-step demonstration of how to install a wire tomato cage to support a tomato plant.
- When to install tomato supports.
Cages for Tomatoes
Tomatoes are plants with sprawling habits and multiple, heavy fruit. They produce best when supported to keep their vines and fruit from touching the soil. All tomato varieties—eating, slicing, cooking, or miniature—require support
For individual large-fruit varieties in small-space gardens, cones or foldable welded-wire tomato cages provide the best support. Avoid bargain cages that are too small and built from small-diameter wire. The tomatoes will quickly grow out of such cages.
Cherry or miniature tomato varieties—especially those that develop grape like clusters called trusses, each with many tomatoes—are usually trained up a tall vertical wire. Such plants may reach 10 ft. (3 m) or taller, with ripening clusters forming at the bottom and extending to the top.
Because most other varieties of tomatoes are quite tall and produce heavy fruit, choose a stout cage that is at least 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall, measured from the bottom ring or horizontal wire.
Plan to install support stakes for the cage to prevent the weight of the plant from tipping it over when fruit develops.
Support is especially important for indeterminate cooking tomatoes, because they become heavily laden with fruit just before harvest.
For large plantings, use string or wire trellises [see Installing Supports].
Step-By-Step Instructions
Most home gardeners grow individual tomato plants or a block of several plants. Two different approaches to support are commonly used to support the heavy vines and their fruit to avoid soil contact.
Individual plants often are grown with stout-wire supports, either as foldable, rectangular towers or wire-ring cages.
Blocks of tomatoes are typically staked, grown on wood trellis or lattice supports, or tied to string supports.
Gather your cage, wood or fiberglass support stakes at least 3 ft. (90 cm) long, a mallet, pliers, and wire ties, then follow these simple steps:
Supporting Tomatoes With Cages
Center the cage on the young tomato plant. Carefully push the cage’s wire prongs down into the soil until its bottom ring is about 4 in. (10 cm) above the soil.
Drive 3 stakes alongside the wire cage and parallel with the uprights, using a mallet or hammer. A mature tomato plant can stand 6 ft. (1.8 m) or taller, requiring extra support.
Use a pair of pliers and wire ties to attach the cage firmly to the stakes. They will give the cage added support to keep it upright and prevent tipping after the tomato sets fruit and it becomes heavy as it becomes ripe.
As the tomato plant grows, train its vines that extend beyond the cage back into the center of the cage, tying them. Prune away excess foliage if necessary.
> Next: Beds and Containers