Tomatoes – From Seed to Sauce Part 8 – Supports – Hold Me Up

Tomatoes are true vines, and if allowed, can travel many feet from where they are planted. Most tomatoes are grown vertically for good reasons; they take up less garden space, are less prone to disease and are easier to harvest. But they need support to grow up rather than run.

Which type of support you choose is partially based on the type of plant; determinate vs indeterminate. Determinate tomato plants may be more compact in size, but often produce most of their fruit at the same time. A sturdy cage is often enough. Indeterminate plants can grow very tall and full or be pruned to a single stem on a stake. Choose what is best for the mature size of your plants; cages, trellis, stakes, tee-pee, ladder, spiral, fence, basket weave or any combination. Put those supports in early, when you first plant the seedlings out into the garden. You do not want to break off stems trying to fit a cage over the plant 2 weeks later.