Staking Tomatoes ‘On the Cheap’
Well the heirloom tomatoes that I planted from seed 2 -1/2 months ago are already in need of staking. Because one of my main goals for this blog site is to promote the practice of low space, intensive, and “frugal” home growing, I am always looking for new ways to accomplish these ends. Therefore, I decided to try a different idea for staking my indeterminate tomatoes. What I have here are 1″ electrical conduit that are sold in 10′ lengths. While they are not terribly strong, I think think they will suffice because I am using one for each plant, sinking them almost 2′ into the ground, and wiring the entire overhead into a supportive grid (this part is optional based on how tall your tomatoes will grow).
In addition to reinforcement, this overhead wire grid will allow me plenty of area from which to drop down supportive ties for the tomato branches. In addition to old nylon stockings cut into strips and tied directly to the stakes for the lower branches, I will probably later use some sisal or twine and “corksrew” wrap the branches from the top when the plants get huge. Heck, if the tomatoes get to over 8′ (which I intend), I will just train them up onto the overhead grid!
Here I have started tying some nylon stockings around the branches (regular string might damage the plant due to abrasion etc.). Another thing that works well for tying are old shirts (or other suitable material) cut into narrow strips. I have left the vegetation of this Sungold tomato plant a little thicker near the bottom than my other heirlooms (as I want the fruit a little higher up on those). Two reasons that I am aiming to keep the lower stems bare are: 1) This prevents disease from splashing upwards from the soil and forces the foliage/growth of the plant higher up and.. 2) It places the tomatoes further out of the reach of predators (like raccoons in my case!).
When tying the branches, I like to think of a funnel; The lower down stems I wrap a little closer to the stake, and as the plant grows taller, I extend the branches outwards a little more. This helps to prevent crowding and allows more airflow and sunlight.
The best part about this project is that I staked 12 tomato plants for just $28 (conduit and wire) and spent about 4 hours total including the tying. Finally, if you have your own ideas and plans on tomato staking, feel free to comment.
PS: Here is an update to this article
