Tomato Trellis Growing Techniques

Cages and Huts

• Cages and huts work well for larger plants. Cages are typically made from wire and should be at least 4 to 5 feet tall once secured in the ground. Some cages have compost planted inside the previous season to feed the tomato plants growing and climbing on the outside of the cage. Huts made from mesh concrete wire instead of cage wire allow the gardener to create an arch for the plant to grow through, letting its heavy fruit rest on top of the arch. The gardener need only lift the arch and plant from the ground at the end of the season.

Twining and Weaving

• Some trellising techniques involving weaving the vine through a trellis structure. Stake and weave allows a grower to make a tomato hedge. Tomatoes are staked about 4 feet apart early on, then when they reach just under a foot high, the grower runs a long string around each stake and over to the adjacent one, wrapping it once around each post, then doing the same in the opposite direction on the way back. The technique is repeated weekly to stabilize growing vines.

Single-Stake

• For single, small plants in areas protected from wind, growers sometimes use a single-stake method. A post is pounded 1 to 2 feet into the ground, then the tomato is tied to it as the vine grows, usually with old cotton or a natural fiber that won't suffocate or damage the vine. A dutch spiral trellis is similar to a stake, but a gardener prunes the vine, which twines around a metal post as it grows higher.

Techniques for Stability

• Small techniques help your trellises support your tomatoes and allow you to access the plant. Secure your trellis with posts or t-stakes about 1 1/2 feet into the ground for extra support. Leave about 4 inches of space between the bottom of the trellis and the ground for quicker weeding and maintenance. Provide a tomato cage for larger tomato plants. It provides more support than many upright trellises.