The growth habit of a tomato plant is naturally sprawling, and without support, its vines will lie directly on the soil. This ground contact allows soil-borne pathogens to splash onto the lower leaves and stems during watering or rain, leading to diseases like early blight and late blight. Elevating the plant increases air circulation, helping the leaves dry faster and reducing the conditions necessary for fungal diseases to thrive. Keeping the heavy fruit off the ground prevents contact with pests and minimizes fruit rot, maximizing the number of healthy tomatoes you can harvest. Providing a sturdy structure allows the plant to grow vertically, which is a more efficient use of garden space and makes routine maintenance and harvesting much easier. This article provides detailed, cost-effective instructions for building durable, heavy-duty support systems.
Matching Your Support to Your Tomato Variety
Selecting the appropriate support begins with understanding the difference between the two main types of tomato growth habits: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate varieties, often called “bush” tomatoes, grow to a predetermined height, typically between three and five feet, and then stop vegetative growth. They produce the majority of their fruit within a concentrated period, making them ideal for processing large batches for canning or sauce. Even though they are stockier, determinate plants benefit from support to prevent heavy fruit loads from causing branches to break or the plant to topple over in strong winds.
Indeterminate tomato plants are true vining varieties that continue to grow, flower, and set fruit until the first frost. These plants can reach heights between six and twelve feet, requiring a much taller, more robust support system. Since they produce a steady supply of fresh fruit over many months, the support must be durable enough to bear the continuous weight of the vine throughout the long growing season.
Constructing Heavy-Duty Wire Mesh Cages
The most robust support for heavy-producing indeterminate tomatoes is a cylindrical cage constructed from concrete reinforcing mesh, also known as welded wire mesh. This material features thick gauge wire, often with 6-inch by 6-inch grid openings, providing superior strength and accessibility compared to flimsy commercial cages. To begin, you will need a roll of concrete mesh, heavy-duty bolt cutters, and thick work gloves.
A durable cage should be at least 5 to 6 feet tall, not including the anchoring spikes, and 18 to 24 inches in diameter. To achieve an 18-inch diameter cage, cut a section of mesh roughly 4.5 to 5 feet long. When cutting the length, ensure one end has a vertical row of wire stubs extending past the last horizontal wire.
These vertical wire stubs serve as hooks to secure the cylinder once it is rolled. Use pliers to bend the ends of these stubs into small, tight hooks. Roll the mesh into a cylinder, overlapping the ends by one square, and thread the bent hooks through the adjacent vertical wire to lock the cage closed.
For anchoring, cut the bottom two horizontal wires completely off, leaving the vertical wires free to act as spikes. These spikes should be straightened and pushed deep into the soil. The wide 6×6 openings allow for easy pruning and harvesting, and the heavy-duty construction means these cages can be reused for decades.
Building Support Structures Using the Florida Weave Technique
The Florida Weave is an efficient, cost-effective trellising method well-suited for supporting long rows of determinate or semi-determinate tomato plants. This technique uses vertical stakes and horizontal twine to create a supportive wall. Materials needed include strong stakes, such as metal T-posts or rebar, that are at least 6 feet tall, and a durable, non-stretching twine, such as synthetic baler twine.
Begin by driving stakes into the ground at the ends of the row and every 8 to 10 feet along the row. Tomatoes should be planted in a straight line between the stakes, spaced approximately two feet apart. Tie the twine securely to the first end stake about 8 to 12 inches above the soil level.
The weaving process involves running the twine along one side of the row, wrapping it around each stake to provide tension. At the end stake, wrap the twine and then weave back down the row on the opposite side of the plants. This action sandwiches the plants between two parallel lines of twine, offering lateral support to the stems.
As the plants grow, repeat the weaving process every 8 to 12 inches up the stakes, creating new layers of horizontal support. For indeterminate varieties, stakes up to 8 feet tall may be needed, along with a new layer of twine every week or two during the peak growing season. This method is effective because the plants are corralled into an upright position while bearing some of the weight themselves.
Installing and Securing Your Supports
The support structure must be installed very early in the plant’s life to prevent root damage and ensure the plant is trained correctly from the start. For wire cages, position the cage over the small transplant immediately after planting, centering the young tomato plant inside the cylinder. Push the wire spikes of the heavy-duty cage at least 6 to 8 inches deep into the soil to ensure the structure is firmly anchored.
For gardens susceptible to high winds or heavy-bearing plants, additional bracing is necessary to prevent the cage from leaning or toppling. Drive a sturdy metal T-post or wooden stake into the ground just outside the cage on the side facing the prevailing wind. Secure the cage tightly to this external stake using zip ties or durable wire.
For the Florida Weave, drive the stakes deep enough to withstand the significant horizontal tension of the twine and the eventual weight of the laden plants. Metal T-posts should be driven until the footplate is fully below the soil line. At the end of the season, both wire cages and metal stakes can be cleaned and stored, offering a long-term, reusable solution.