How to Trellis Tomato Plants
Tomato growers are often looking for ways to increase their yield of this juicy garden favorite. Trellising tomato plants keeps vines and fruit up off the ground. This can cut down on rot, disease and other problems. Trellising tomatoes also allows easier access to fruit during harvest time because plants are contained in neat rows. A popular technique among commercial growers, tomato trellising is also useful in the home garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Choose your variety. Determinate and semi-determinate types are best suited to this technique. Determinate varieties grow to a certain size and then stop. Indeterminate varieties continue to grow all season long. Semi-determinate varieties are somewhere in the middle. Indeterminate varieties can be used but they will require more pruning and sturdier, longer stakes.
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2
Plant your tomatoes. Space the rows about 5 to 6 feet apart to allow space for walking between trellises. Space plants about 24 inches apart within the row.
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3
Choose stakes. Trellising stakes should be tall enough to accommodate your plants when they are fully mature. Choose stakes that are at least 1-inch thick and sturdy enough to handle the weight of the vines, especially in windy conditions.
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4
Insert stakes. Space stakes between plants using one about every second or third plant. Drive them into the ground about 12 inches.
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Attach the first string. Wait until the plants are about 10 inches tall. Using a roll of twine or string, attach one end firmly to the first stake about 10 inches off the ground. Weave the string back and forth between all the stakes in the row. The string will be one side of the first plant and on the opposite side of the next one. When you reach the last stake, wrap the string two or three times around and make your way back down the row the same way. The stem of each tomato plant should now be between the lengths of string. Securely attach the string to the first stake.
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6
Add additional rows. As the tomato plants grow, add additional lengths of string about every 6 to 8 inches. Gently adjust and lift the tomato vines as you go so they are well supported by the trellis strings.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose sturdy string that will stand up to the elements for at least one season.
Avoid working with tomato plants during wet conditions as this can spread disease. Wait until the plants dry to do your stringing and pruning.
Make sure the end stakes are firmly anchored in the soil or they could collapse under the heavy weight of the vines.
