This is known as "Florida weave" staking. It has been used for large scale farming as well as home gardening. You can add more stakes for as long a row as you want.

Jim

I tried the method one year but just couldn't get beyond how untidy and insecure it looked. The strings sagged, I couldn't keep the plants from encroaching on their neighbors, the strings sagged some more and eventually cut into some of the tomato branches when the wind blew.

The method I settled on isn't much tidier but it's much more secure. I just run cattle panel between two close-set rows of tomato plants spaced about 2.5 feet apart and then use soft wide plastic grocery bag strips to tie the branches to the cattle panel.

I've seen another support system where a tall overhead frame is built that supports descending twine that the tomato branches are wrapped around as the plant grows. It looks like a good system to me, but since I've found something that works and doesn't require any construction, I'll stick with that.

I've never used Florida weave. I would accept Anney's opinion of it.

One nice system I have seen is based on greenhouse growing, where tomato vines are clipped to vertical strings suspended from the overhead structure. Plastic clips are available for this purpose. In an outdoor garden it is necessary to construct some sort of overhead framework for this to work. The one used by my friend has a permanently installed structure, so it is very convenient to use.

So far, I have just provided one wooden stake per plant and tied the plant to it with twine. It's simple, cheap and it works.

Jim

I've used this method. The stakes have to be very secure and there shouldn't be more than 3 ft or so between stakes. I found the "Florida Method" worked well with the really tall vines and small fruit of Sungold tomatoes. Shorter more compact plants with large fruit like Big Beef made the strings sag much as anney experienced.

Jon

Did Florida weave last year on one long row to compare with my usual cages, My experience was mediocre to say the best. I'll stick with my CRW cages. ;)

Many discussions on using Florida weave on the Growing Tomatoes forum here. I linked some of them for you below if you want to read through them.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida weave discussions

After years and years of trying various techniques, the best and easiest I've found is setting up 7 foot bamboo poles in a quadrupod and putting a tomato plant at each pole, pruning and tying as if to a stake. It's quite stable and very easy to set up and take down. I got my poles from Gardeners Supply about 15 years ago. You do have to buy the special bamboo string to tie them--regular string just slips around on the bamboo and doesn't hold.

I'm going to try brush upended in the ground this year, same as for the peas.

laceyvail

What spacing do you provide for the bottom of your four-cornered teepee? Is the plant spacing close enough that you can reach into the center of the four tomato plants to harvest them or do you have to step into the teepee itself to reach everything? (I'm thinking about 4-ft. wide raised beds.)

I am trying the Florida weave this year. I cemented 3 poles on each end of a 16 foot raised tomato bed. (6 polls total) So I have three rows of tomatoes. I did not place any poles in between because my boyfriend told me I didn't need to...we will see! I am using nylon string to weave with. If it does stretch...I guess I could pull it tighter and tie it off again.

We had a really severe thunderstorm last night with high winds. Earlier in the day I put my second rung of string up. Everything looked great when I went out this morning. None of the tomato plants had toppled over, so I am happy so far!

Here is a link that might be useful: How my garden grows!