Growing tomatoes vertically manages the plant’s natural vining habit by providing upward support. This method conserves garden space, making it feasible to grow tomatoes even in small urban settings or containers. Lifting the foliage improves air circulation, reducing the risk of soil-borne fungal diseases. Keeping the fruit elevated results in cleaner produce and makes harvesting more convenient. This guide provides instruction on how to select, install, and maintain the necessary structures.
Selecting the Support System
The choice of support structure depends on the tomato variety’s growth habit. Determinate varieties, often called “bush” tomatoes, grow to a fixed height (typically 3 to 5 feet) and produce their crop within a short time frame. These compact plants require less intensive support, often succeeding with a simple stake or smaller cage.
Indeterminate varieties are true vines that continue to grow, flower, and set fruit until frost, potentially reaching heights of 6 to 12 feet. This continuous growth demands a taller, more robust support system capable of handling a heavy, season-long load. The three primary vertical methods are staking, caging, and trellising, each offering different levels of support. Staking involves a single vertical pole and is best for determinate or lightly pruned indeterminate plants.
Caging uses a cylindrical structure to support the plant on all sides, offering a good balance of support and reduced maintenance. Trellising, which includes systems like the Florida Weave or cattle paneling, provides the strongest, most extensive support, making it the preferred choice for heavy-producing, sprawling indeterminate vines. When selecting a system, gardeners should consider their available space, the variety’s mature size, and their budget.
Step-by-Step Installation of Vertical Structures
Vertical supports should be installed at the time of planting to prevent damage to the root system. For staking, a sturdy stake made of wood, metal, or rebar should be driven at least 12 to 18 inches deep for stability, positioned a few inches away from the plant’s base. The stake must be tall enough to accommodate the plant’s mature height; indeterminate varieties often require a 6-foot minimum above ground.
When installing a cage, center the young tomato plant within the cylinder and firmly push the cage’s anchors into the soil, aiming for a depth of around 8 inches. For larger or indeterminate plants, a wide cage—at least 3 feet in diameter—made from heavy-gauge wire, such as concrete reinforcement mesh, is recommended. To prevent tipping under the weight of a mature plant, securing the cage to a separate, deeply driven metal post or stake adds stability.
Trellising a row of plants can be achieved with the Florida Weave method, which involves driving sturdy T-posts at the ends of the row and wooden stakes every 4 to 5 feet between the plants. Twine is then woven between the posts and stakes, alternating on either side of the plants to create a supportive wall. For single-plant trellises or panels, the structure should be anchored securely to prevent collapse, and the plants should be situated at the base of the panel or netting.
Ongoing Training and Care
Once the support structure is in place, consistent training and care are necessary to maintain vertical growth and maximize production. A key maintenance task is removing “suckers,” which are new shoots that emerge in the axil where a leaf branch meets the main stem. Removing suckers on indeterminate plants directs energy toward the main vine and fruit production, rather than creating unproductive foliage.
Small suckers can be cleanly pinched off with the fingers when they are less than a half-inch long, but thicker shoots should be removed with sanitized shears to prevent stem tearing. Regular tying is necessary to secure the main stem to the stake or trellis as the plant grows taller. Using soft materials like strips of cloth or specialized garden twine prevents the stem from being girdled or cut by hard wire.
The stem should be tied loosely, often using a figure-eight loop that allows space for the stem to increase in girth without rubbing against the support. Ties should be placed every 6 to 8 inches along the main stem, preferably just beneath a fruit-bearing truss or node, as this provides a strong anchor point to bear the weight of the tomatoes. Late in the season, about four weeks before the first expected frost, the growing tip of the main stem can be “topped” or removed. This action halts vertical growth and redirects the plant’s remaining energy into ripening the fruit.