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Step 1
Keep the fruit and the foliage off of the ground. Tomato plants are susceptible to fungus (diseases) from infected soil splashed up during a rainfall. The fruit is susceptible to slugs and other insect damage. It may rot if allowed to rest on the ground. Use trellises to keep your vines and fruit off of the ground. You can also use tomato cages. Both items are available at your nursery or from a garden catalog.
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Step 2
Make your own tomato cages. Most cages are made out of heavy wire and are round or triangular in shape. They also come as squares. The square tomato cages are the best because they are a bit bigger and can support a large plant with a lot of heavy fruit.
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Step 3
Make a round cage with fencing with large gaps for your tomato cages. Cut the fencing to about six feet and bend it into a tube shape. Using pliers, bend the horizontal wires on one end around the vertical wires around the other end. This helps the cage keep its shape.
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Step 4
Make a square or triangular cage from lumber. Using four upright pieces, about three feet high, nail crosspieces on the outside of the upright boards. Nail the crosspieces at the top, all the way around, to make a square. Nail another set of crosspieces about 15 to 18 inches down.
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Step 5
Put the cages or trellises around the plants when they are small, so you do not damage them trying to trellis them when they are larger. If your plant becomes unruly, and does not grow along the edges of the trellis or cage, you can loosely tie the vines to the trellis or the cage.This also allows for adequate airflow to the plants, which also helps them grow bigger and put out better fruit.
