How to Stake Tomatoes in Pots or plastic containers: A Comprehensive Guide

How to Stake Tomatoes in Pots or plastic containers: A Comprehensive Guide Photo courtesy

Did you know that approximately 35% of American households grow some of their own fruits and vegetables? They can benefit from fresh, organic crops with a rich and delicious flavor.

Tomatoes are a popular plant that many people grow. Tomatoes are delicious fruits that go well in salads, pizza, and a variety of other dishes!

If you're growing your own, you'll need to know how to grow tomatoes from seed and how to properly stake tomato plants. In this guide, we'll look at staking tomatoes.



WHY YOU SHOULD STAKE TOMATOES

Before we dive into the steps of staking tomatoes, let's talk about why you should stake them:

  • Staking your tomatoes keeps them organized and saves tons of space in your garden.
  • When you stake your tomatoes, you reduce the risk of them rotting or developing diseases.
  • Stakes also make them less accessible to garden pests and insects.
  • Staking makes it easier to access all parts of the plant for trimming and harvesting.

STEP ONE: DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF TOMATOES YOU'RE GROWING.
 

The first step in establishing your vegetable garden and staking your tomatoes is determining the type of tomato you're working with. You can work with two types of tomatoes: determinate tomatoes and indeterminate tomatoes.

Let's look at what each of these terms means and how it affects tomato plant staking.

Determinate tomatoes: These tomatoes grow to specific sizes. They produce all of their fruit in about two weeks.

When it comes to staking, determinate tomatoes don't require as much assistance. You'll still need to support them, but because the vines on these plants are much smaller, they can be grown in more confined spaces.

Another thing to remember about determinate tomatoes is that many hybrid varieties are. Check the label on your seeds to see what variety you have.

Indeterminate tomato plants grow larger and produce more fruit over a longer period of time than determinate tomato plants. They also tend to produce more fruit. As a result, they will benefit from strong stakes.

Indeterminate tomatoes continue to produce tomatoes until the first frost. This means you'll get a much larger yield from these plants!

STEP TWO: CHOOSE BETWEEN CAGING OR STAKING

There are two methods you can use for staking tomato plants:

  • Caging
  • Staking

Each method has advantages and disadvantages and is best suited to a specific type of plant. Here's what you should know about these techniques.
Tomato cages:
If you're staking determinate tomatoes, you should invest in a tomato cage. Tomato cages help the plant grow while also reducing your workload.

When the plants are young, it's a good idea to keep determinate tomatoes in cages. As a result, the plant will fill out as it grows, and you will need to tie the tomatoes less frequently than if you were staking.

While we recommend cages for determinate tomatoes, you can use them for indeterminate tomatoes as well. 

In either case, make sure the stake is strong enough to support the vine and the fruit. Wooden stakes are an inexpensive and easily accessible option. However, there are numerous options, including plastic, steel, and bamboo poles. The stake will be easier to place in the soil if one end is pointed.

Stake your tomatoes by inserting the stake at least a foot into the ground and keeping it at least five inches away from the growing plant. Then, using twine, string, or old pantyhose, secure the tomatoes to the stake. As they grow, you'll need to add more ties every 6 to 8 inches.
 

STEP THREE: SELECT A STAKING METHOD

Another part of staking your tomato plants involves choosing a staking method. There are three main methods you can use:

  • Florida weave
  • Single stake
  • Double stake

Here's everything you need to know about each method.

Plant the tomatoes in two rows about two feet apart using the Florida weave method. Then, drive a stake at the beginning and end of each row, with stakes every three plants.

Wrap your first stake in twine and weave it in front of one plant, then behind the other. Repeat up to the end of the row, then down the second row.

The Florida weave is intended for gardeners who grow a lot of tomatoes. This could be useful if you have a large tomato plot.

 

Tomato cultivation
 

Single stake: To use the single stake method, simply stake your plants once they reach about a foot in height. Tie the stakes to the vine with the tie of your choice, and re-tie the plants every six inches.

Single stakes are an excellent choice for potted plants because they take up little extra space.

Double stake: Double staking works well for supporting heavy tomatoes, such as heirlooms. Place two stakes on opposite sides of the plant for this method. Then, wrap the twine or jute around the plant stem and both stakes. Continue tying your tomatoes as they grow.
 

PRUNE YOUR PLANTS IN STEP FOUR

Pruning away suckers is the final step in growing and staking tomatoes. Suckers are plant parts that do not bear fruit. They are usually found between fruiting branches and the main stem.

After you've staked the fruit-bearing parts of the plant, prune away the suckers so they don't drain the plant's energy. The plant can then use all of its energy to grow fruit-bearing branches.

Furthermore, pruning your plants keeps them healthy by improving air circulation. Learn more about tomato plant pruning. Pruning tomato plants, especially those trained to a single stake, is especially beneficial. Pruning is the removal of side shoots or suckers that form at the base of leaves extending from the main stem. These side shoots are simply additional vegetative growth; they will not bear fruit. By removing them, leaf mass is reduced, making it easier to support a tomato plant with a single stake. Removing side shoots also directs the plant's energy toward fruit production, which is a tasty reward for a little pruning.


These were steps at how you can stake your tomatoes but there are other essential tips that you should keep in mind during these steps.

Staking tomatoes to support their rapid growth takes time and effort, but the end result is well worth it. By nature, most tomato varieties ramble across the ground, forming a 3- to 4-foot-wide heap of foliage. Harvesting is like going on a treasure hunt through the leafy growth, looking for any ripe fruit. Furthermore, a sprawling tomato plant consumes a lot of valuable garden space (especially in raised beds), and any foliage on the ground attracts more diseases. These tomato staking techniques and tips will assist you in growing healthy plants in less space while also increasing and extending your tomato harvest.
 

Stake all types of tomato plants.

Staking improves the health and yield of all tomato varieties. Many heirloom and cherry tomato varieties thrive on staking systems 5 to 7 feet tall, while many beefsteak and paste varieties thrive on a 3- to 4-foot stake or cage.

The height of the staking system varies according to the type of tomato. Tomatoes are classified into two types based on how they grow: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomato varieties grow to a specific height, usually 3 or 4 feet tall, and then stop growing. 
They flower and fruit in a matter of weeks. For determinate varieties, a 3- to 4-foot-tall staking system works well. Indeterminate tomato varieties grow, flower, and set fruit until frost kills them in the fall. Indeterminate types benefit from a 5- to 7-foot-tall staking system.


Stake at planting time

Tomatoes grow quickly. In the midst of spring planting and weeding, it's easy to overlook staking newly planted tomatoes. They will quickly add 2 to 3 feet of new growth, making staking much more difficult. Install a support system at planting time to ensure your plants stand tall from the start. Gather staking supplies while shopping for transplants at the garden center, and you'll have everything you need to get started right away.

In a small garden, use the single-stake method

 

A single stake is a simple and inexpensive way to keep plants upright in small spaces. For determinate tomatoes, use a 5-foot-tall sturdy wood or metal stake, and for indeterminate tomatoes, use an 8-foot-tall stake. Sink the stake 12 inches into the ground, about 4 inches from the plant's base—depth is important for anchoring the plant once it is heavy with fruit. Tie the main stem to the stake as the plant grows, using strips of cloth (cut up an old t-shirt) or commercial tomato ties available at the garden center. Tie a loose figure-8 with the tomato stem in one loop and the stake in the other. As the plant grows, continue tying the main stem to the stake on a weekly basis.
 

Provide additional support for wire tomato cages

Manufactured wire tomato cages are the most popular tomato support system, but many of them are frustratingly flimsy. They work well when the plants are young, holding tomato stems and leaves upright, but they frequently buckle under the weight of developing fruit. With stakes, you can keep wire tomato cages upright all season. Along with wire cages, drive two 5- to 7-foot-tall metal stakes into the ground. Connect the cages to the stakes with rope. Make your own tomato cages out of concrete reinforcing wire or other heavy-duty mesh.
 

Don’t forget tomatoes in containers

To support a potted tomato plant, use a single wood or metal stake. When planting, insert the stake about 12 inches into the potting soil and loosely tie the plant's main stem to the stake every 12 inches or so with soft cloth. Be mindful of the wind—the staked tomato plant can easily catch the wind and topple the entire pot in a strong gust. If windy conditions are a problem in your area, place the container in a protected location.
 

Create a woven support for a row of tomatoes

The basketweave tomato support method creates a tomato plant hedge. The basketweave method is best for 6 or more tomato plants planted in a single row about 24 inches apart. It involves "weaving" sturdy twine through the row of staked plants every week or two until the plants reach the top of the stakes.

To begin, insert an 8-foot stake 1 foot into the ground near the base of each other plant. When the plants are 12 inches tall, start weaving twine between the stakes and tie it off at the end of the row. As the plants grow, add new layers of twine to the stakes.