How to best stake older, taller tomatoes?

15 years ago

This is my second year growing tomatoes, and I installed 42" wire, round tomato cages. Well, actually they are 42" before you push them into the ground, after that, they are about 30"-32" tall.

But obviously most indeterminate tomato plants will grow much taller than 32". So when they get to about 5 feet tall, and especially when they start getting tomatoes on them, they start falling over.

So a 32" high cage isnt really solving the problem. Now I must install new stakes.

So my idea is to install a tall stake near the center of the plant, so that I can just tie the fallen stems to that central stake, but allowing them to hang outward just a little to give more room to other stems.

Otherwise, I must install like 4 stakes all around each of 9 tomato plants, which will be difficult because the ground outside of the area where the plant is buried is all dry, hard clay. Plus, then I'd have to tie the stems from 4 different stakes, leaving a mess of strings going in all directions.

How do you guys and girls handle this problem?

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Comments (5)

digdirt2
15 years ago
Driving a stake into the center of an older plant is a good way to kill the plant. No way you can keep from damaging the roots. Instead drive a couple of stakes well out on the outside of the wire cages and tie the cages to those stakes. The plant can drape over the cage with no problems or you can tie string or wire between the 2 stakes on the cage and tie off branches to that.

Next year consider using quality CRW cages and stake them down at planting time when you don't have to worry about root damage. An 8' tall plant does just fine in a 5-6' CRW cage. Lots of discussions here about them and how to make them.

Dave
terrybull
15 years ago
agree with dave. and in a pinch you can add a second cage upside down on the other cage. then use plastic zip ties to hold it on. and cross your fingers.
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qaguy
15 years ago
This year will be a problem, but next year an alternative
is PVC cages.

They can be as tall as you like.

Follow the link for more information.

Here is a link that might be useful: QAGuy's tomato cage page
Edymnion
15 years ago
In a pinch, get whatever style long stakes you can find (plastic, wood, whatever works) and put them around your plant, far enough out you know you'll miss most of the important roots. Then get twine/rope and tie it between the stakes as taunt as you can get it.

Viola, instant tomato cage. Best part is you can set the ropes at whatever level is best, and you can even criss-cross through the main branches in the middle of the plant.

Its not ideal, but it should work.
heirloomjunkie
15 years ago
Texas tomato cages next year! I bought some from Gurney's this year, and will never, ever go back. They don't bend, or fall over, and they're plenty tall enough. For up north, anyway. :) My plants are almost five feet tall now and no problems yet.

Kim