Stake and Weave Tomatoes

Instead of using tomato cages to keep tomatoes off the ground, consider the stake and weave method. All you need are a few metal stakes and some twine to form a beautiful hedge of tomato plants!

Produced by the Department of Communications at Kansas State University. For more information, visit our website at: http://www.kansasgreenyards.org

Transcript:
Stake and Weave Tomatoes

Staking tomatoes is important to keep the plants healthy and have good quality fruit. The stake and weave method of staking tomatoes is a nice method to use if you don’t have the space to store lots of tomato cages, or if you can’t afford to buy or make your own tomato cages.

With the stake and weave method, all you need are some posts. You can use metal or wooden stakes. Then, you’ll need some twine or string to support the plants. With the stake and weave method, you’ll need a stake between every other plant in your garden.

Then, you’ll need some heavy twine, or a strong narrow twine such as a jute or polyester twine. You’ll do your first tie after you’ve planted your tomato plants about 8-10 inches off the ground. Secure your twine to one stake, and then wrap the twine along the edges of the plants around each individual stake to the end of the row and then come back on the other side – wrapping the twine again around each stake.

This will provide a fence around the plants with the string on both sides of the plant. It will help keep the plant vertical and growing upright. Then, you’ll need to add another row of ties for the stake and weave method about every week to ten days (depending on how fast your plants grow.)

You’ll tie them the same way, and ultimately end up with four to six rows of ties on the stakes throughout the growing season. By the end of summer you’ll have a nice hedge of tomatoes that are easy to pick because the fruit are off the ground. And, you can easily reach in and work with the plants.

This feature story prepared with Rebecca McMahon, Kansas State University Research and Extension Horticulture Agent, Sedgwick County. For more information, visit your local county extension office or visit our website at KansasGreenYards.org.