I planted about 750 last year, and couldn't afford any of the existing methods I read about. So I had to design something new. I needed them to be cheap, simple, sturdy, and easy to set up. And I also needed to get my tomatoes in the ground, before I built them. So I needed something I could set up after planting. I got it done late, so I had to let a lot of the plants sprawl. But the supports I did get done worked out pretty well. It cost me about 20 cents per plant to start. And most of it's reuseable this year, so the cost can be spread out over multiple seasons. I just wrote a short explanation on one of the vegetable threads, so I won't repeat it here. But I really need to make some drawings, since it's hard to explain without pictures. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll try and get it done soon. Otherwise, it probably won't get to the top of my todo list for a while.

Hey GC,

Any chance you can link to the thread?

IMWT

Betsy

bets - The thread is "supports for vining crops", and I'm posting a link. Btw, what does IMWT mean?

Here is a link that might be useful: supports for vining crops thread

Yesterday, I spend most of the day harvesting free tomato supports from a stand of pest bamboo that someone wanted to have cleared out.

When I lived in the North it was locust posts.

Trellising is a very inexpensive way to provide tomato support for a lot of tomatoes. (link below)
Also, you could grow a bush variety which doesn't need staking. Last year I grew Bush Goliath which sprawled but produced until frost. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Building a tomato trellis for staking tomatoes

Here's an inexpensive way to trellis toms (a LOT of them).
All you need is twine (sisal stretches, don't use that) and some stakes. Works for peppers too.
Here in FL, we're picking the end of the fall toms and putting in the new seedlings we started the beginning of this month.

I used to work on a farm, and we used this method with acres of unpruned plants. (semi-determinate plants on the farm)

Here is a link that might be useful: How do I use the Florida Weave?

Thank you.

GC,

IMWT = inquiring minds want to (know), sorry I left off the K.

Betsy

Hey GC,

The first method you described sounds a lot like Florida Weave: Last year I just set up a couple 2x2's, spaced about 14 feet apart, and strung bailing twine horizontally about every 9-12". I have rows a lot longer than 14 feet, so I put long steel T-posts on the end of the row and use the 2x2's spaced every 8 feet. I put two tomatoes between posts, two feet from each post (4 feet between plants) and my rows are 6 feet apart.

The second method I believe you have described is called String Training, or a few other names like rope training or drop string training. There are some pictures at that link.

Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Weave

bets - My first method isn't a weave, since I just used single lines. And I just used it for stuff like beans. Not tomatoes.

My second method is a type of string training. The interesting part of it is the support system. I'm hoping to get some drawings posted soon.

Betsy,

I guessed "I Might Want This"

My "problem" is I plan on having about 15 rows toms, each row about 300 feet long. I don't have the time or finances to stakes them this year. What I plan to do is to only till about 1' wide rows for the plants. Mow the sod in between and maybe, if I need to, spray that part with an organic weed killer. Something will only kill the foliage, not the roots. But if I time it right, the toms should sprawl enough that the shade will keep the growth between the rows at a minimum, at least during the height of the harvest season.

I'm confident this will not be ideal but hopeful it will be sufficient.

Mike

Mike - Last year I flipped over my grass with a digging fork for most of my new beds. It took about an hour for each bed (approximately 4' x 30'). But it was a lot of work. Then I tried blocking out the sun with black plastic, to get rid of the grass, to make a couple more beds. And that was a lot easier. This year, if I need more new beds, I'm going to try the plastic again, since it was a lot easier. Or I may substitute something else that's biodegradable/more environmentally friendly.

I had a real problem with the cost of all the tomato support methods I read about. It really adds up when you have a lot of plants. So I spent a lot of time last year designing something more efficient. It might work for you too. Now I just need to get to work on the drawings...

I started a new thread, and added a link to an article with pictures, about my support method. And I'm posting a link to the thread.

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy, cheap method for supporting tomato plants

Mike - The method I posted can be used for long rows, and it works out to about 20 cents/plant the first year. Then you can reuse most of it the next year, so it gets cheaper. I wrote up some stuff on how to use it for a 14' bed, but I'm planning to add stuff on how to extend it to longer rows. And you can build it as you go, throughout the season. It's just easier if you do it before the plants get really big, and you have a tomato jungle.

Thank you all for the ideas! I only do about 30 or so tomato plants but have been using the basic flimsy cages and then pounding in a 6' piece of re-rod in each cage. The plants somehow still manage to get too top heavy and some actually do fall over anyway. It's getting really old! Thanks again for some new ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yard Tools Reviewed