Last Updated on June 13, 2023 by Georgie Smith
Growing tomatoes is such a favorite summertime activity that many consider it an anticipated past-time for farmers. See, every summer and spring, millions of gardening enthusiasts find at least some small space in their backyard, home garden or even a spot on their deck or patio for growing tomatoes.
Growing of tomatoes is fun, and quite enjoyable too. However, the main effort of growing tomatoes goes into taking care of them.
Tomatoes, unlike other fruits, do not have sturdy stems, and therefore you need to support them using the best tomato trellis, tomato cages & stakes.
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If you are still in the dark on whether to purchase a tomato trellis or do not understand what tomato trellis & stakes this guide is all you need for help.
In this article, we shall explore the idea of growing tomatoes on trellises, cages, and stakes, and see how this unique alternative growing method can lead to bigger and better harvest.
Benefits of Tomato Trellis, Tomato Cages & Stakes
Before we look at the benefits of tomato trellis, it’s vital that we have a rudimentary understanding of what tomato trellis are.
Tomato trellis refers to garden structures that stand or give support for your growing tomatoes. The trellis is a protector of the plant simply because it is a support for the plant as well a protector from insects.
There are different ways of trellising your tomatoes, with the most dominant ones including staking, caging, and training tomatoes to grow using a string or fence.
What are the Benefits of Tomato Trellis, Tomato Cages & Stakes?
- Save space: Staked tomatoes usually grow upright, rather than sprawled, which helps in saving space, for growing more plants on a limited space.
- Earlier fruit: Staked or caged tomatoes have more leaves open to direct sunlight, and this allows the tomato plant to manufacture more energy faster. The blossoms of the tomato plant have the energy they need to set the fruit earlier.
- Healthy plant and fruit: Unlike the sprawling tomatoes, which are in contact with the dirt and pests on the ground, the staked plants “hang” in the air, away from the destructive pests.
- Easy management: If a caged tomato harbors any insect pests or disease it’s easier to spot and treat compared to the sprawling tomatoes. Also, it’s easy to prune, and even wrap covers around the young plants in case of frost.
- Accessibility: Staked tomatoes are easier to pick.
- Wind resistance: The cages and stakes provide the tomatoes plants with an extra boost in strength, making them resistant to winds.
Top-Rated Tomato Trellis, Tomato Cages & Stakes on the Market
There are two significant challenges that every tomato gardener must overcome. The first one is what or rather which type of tomato species to grow. With a gamut of choices to choose from, it’s not easy to pick the ideal choice. However, your choice should depend on personal preferences, climate, and diseases resistance.
The next hurdle is deciding on the most proper support is for your plants. If you are a DIYer, you can use the bamboo poles or strings-whatever suits you.
On the other hand, buying tomato trellis, cages, and stake, however, provides a hassle-free and convenient way of growing your tomatoes.
The following is a review of the best tomato cages on the market to help you in your decision-making process.
Glamos 220500, Blazing Gemz Plant Support, 12 by 33-Inch
Available in sets of 4, the Glamos 220500 provides your tomatoes with a sturdy cage to support your growing plants. The good thing with this cage is that it’s versatile and supports your tall tomato plants.
Features:
10-Wire Gauge:
The extra-strong 10-inch, high-quality, and galvanized steel makes the cage strong enough to support even the largest tomato plant, which can get quite heavy when loaded with fruit. The cage keeps the plant upright for a bigger, and cleaner harvest.
8-Inch Cage Space
Healthy tomatoes can grow big, but the GS Tomato Cages can accommodate that. Sporting 8-inches of space between the cage wires, the cage offer enough space for you to stick your hands through for easy harvesting.
14-3/8” Squares
The square area in the GS Tomato Cages provides plenty of room for tomato branches to reach out for support, without getting squished or instead bundled together.
Hinged Panels
Besides being easy to set up, this cage is highly reusable as it can fold and lay flat for winter storage.
Pros:
- Durable
- Can support even the tallest tomatoes
- Adequate space
- Rust free
Cons
- Might be small for some indeterminate tomato species
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Growsun Tall Tomato 5ft 6-Pack Ultomato Tomato Plant Cage
Featuring a robust central core, and covered in plastic, the Gardener’s Blue Ribbon 6-Pack Ultomato cages are quite tall and are available in a handy tri-pack.
Features:
Steel Frame
The premium steel frame used in constructing the Growsun Tall Tomato makes this cage quite robust, durable, and long-lasting.
The plastic cover used in wrapping the steel frame keeps it free from rust.
Snap-on Arms
The beams easily clip onto the main rods, which gives the tomato plant a framework on which it can grow around.
Five Foot Stakes
This feature provides your tomato plants with more than enough space for them to grow around.
Easy Storage
The beams and rods are easy to dismantle individually and stored away in a limited space.
Range of Accessories
This product comes with a plethora of extras including extra arms, rods, twines, support rings and many more.
Pros:
- Strong and durable
- Rust-free
- Easy to store
- Easy to assemble
Cons:
- The 3/8″ stakes are quite flimsy
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Gardener’s Supply Company Square Heavy Gauge Extra Tall Tomato Cage, Set of 2, Red
If you are looking for an extra-tall tomato cage, your search comes to a stop right here. This 53” high installed cage offers a heavy-duty performance, thanks to the powder-coated steel that will keep your tomato plants upright for a better, cleaner, and more fruitful harvest.
Features:
53” High Installed:
The Heavy Gauge Extra Tall Tomato Cage, set of 2, Red is 53 tall inches after putting the legs into the ground. This height is quite handy in maximizing the height of your tomato plant.
However, due to its height, it’s recommended that you anchor the cage on windy days for safety purposes.
Powder-Coated Steel:
The frame of the cage’s construction is for high-quality and durable steel for maximum strength and is powder coated to prevent rusting and ensure the cage lasts for years without compromising on quality.
The sturdy construction of the cage will efficiently support even the biggest indeterminate tomato plants.
8” Square Openings:
The cage has large openings, large enough for you to pick the tomato fruits, as well as manage the plant.
Hinged Panels:
The hinged panels allow the tower to fold flat for off-season storage.
Support:
The Gardener’s Supply Company Square Heavy Gauge supports plants on all sides. While you can still tie your plants, though it’s not needed, the cage can effectively keep your plants up off the ground for maximum air circulation, cleaner fruit, and fewer diseases.
Pros:
- Durable and long-lasting
- Extremely tall to cater for any tomato height
- Easy to set up
- Versatile
Cons:
- A tad short for the tallest indeterminate tomato varieties
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Tingyuan Garden Stakes 48 Inches Steel Plant Stakes, Pack of 25
Tingyuan Garden Stakes is the perfect stake support for all your garden plant work.
Plastic-coated steel stakes used in constructing these stakes make this product convenient and versatile at the very least; it is suitable for an array of garden projects including securing trees, vines, shrubs, and natural climbers such as tomatoes.
Features:
Steel Stakes:
The 48 Inches Tingyuan construction is from premium steel stakes, which provide the product with the strength to support your tomato plants.
Plastic Coated:
Like most of the stakes in our best tomato trellis, tomato cages & stakes: 2019 reviews and Guide, the Tingyuan Garden Stakes are plastic coated for a rust-free experience and longevity.
Sharpened Edges:
The Tingyuan stakes come with sharpened points on each side, which help in easy placement of the stakes.
25 Sturdy Stakes
The Tingyuan Garden Stakes come with 25 sturdy stakes, each with a dimension of 7/16 inch diameter and 48 inches long.
Pros:
- Long-lasting
- Rust-free
- Easy to use
- Convenient
Cons
- Not sufficiently tall
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Panacea Products 89723 Heavy Duty Tomato and Plant Support Cage, Red, Set of 10
The first thing you will notice with this cage is the unique, conical, clean, and professional look. This cage stands tall and is excellent at supporting a variety of tomato sizes.
Like all the cages on our list, it does not change color on exposure to sunlight, is rust-free, does not bend easily and is available in a set of 10 galvanized wire 33″ wire cages.
Features:
33” Wire:
The wire used in the construction of this cage provides your tomato plants with the sturdy and robust support that keeps your plants free from dirt and pests.
Galvanized Wire:
Besides boosting the overall sturdiness of the structure, the galvanization process ensures that the cage does not rust, change color, or even be affected by external conditions.
Conical Shape:
In addition to boosting the overall aesthetics of the cage, the conical shape of the cage is essential in preserving the space to ensure the maximum number of plants grow in a particular area.
Stackable:
The Panacea Products 89723 is highly adjustable, and you can fold them or rather stack to fit in a limited storage location.
Pros:
- Saves space
- Rust-free
- Sturdy
- Long-lasting
Cons:
- Is only suitable for short-sized tomato plants
Buy from Amazon
Best Way to Support Tomato Plants
Once the tomato seedlings are off the ground, the next big decision is how to support them. See, tomatoes are vines and not bushes, and they need support. For a healthier and more productive harvest, you need to keep the tomato plant off the ground.
When it comes to supporting your plants, there are a plethora of techniques that you can use. Some of the dominant tomato support techniques include;
- Cages
- Stakes
- Fence
- Ladder
Training Your Plants
Each of the above methods is suitable for specific conditions and has its benefits and disadvantages. Before you choose a support technique, there are various factors you ought to consider. Some of the factors include;
- Stability of the support system
- Weather condition of your locality.i.e. is it a wind-prone region
- Species of your tomatoes.i.e. determinate or indeterminate variety? Indeterminate require tall support while determinate require shorter and smaller support
- The available garden spaces
The Caging Technique
Tomato cages are probably the most popular method of supporting your tomatoes off the ground. Cages are suitable for trellising tomatoes in a medium to large size garden with plenty of storage space. Cages allow the tomato plants to grow without the need of pruning the plants.
Pros:
- No need to worry about pruning pinching off the suckers or training the plant
- Plenty of foliage, which provides shade for the fruit and prevents sun scalding
- Plenty of leaf cover keeps the soil shaded thus retaining more moisture. Consistent moisture levels avoid cracks and blossom end rot.
- Protects the tomato plant against wind and pests such as cutworms
Cons:
- Cages are not space intensive
- They can fall over in case the tomato plant gets too big
Staking Technique
The staking technique is the ideal choice for those with limited space. Staking entails tying tomato plants to a stake, or a stick stuck on the ground. The common material used to construct DIY stakes includes bamboo, wood, or plastic.
Though it’s the easiest method to start, it requires the most effort to maintain. As the plants grow, you must tie or rather secure the stem securely so that the weight of the fruit won’t pull it down. However, you should not wound the tie tightly to avoid damaging the plant.
Pros:
- Ideal for limited yard spaces as it takes up little space
- Simple to start and install
- Easy harvesting
- Cleaner fruit and less rot
Cons:
- Needs immense effort; you must be diligent about staking, training, and pruning
- Lack of leafy cover makes the tomato plant susceptible to sunscald problems
- Lower yield
- It needs more watering since the sun directly shines on the plants and the lack of sufficient foliage to preserve moisture
Caging vs. Staking: Which is the Best Support Technique
It’s clear that each tomato support system has its strengths and drawbacks. However, the benefits of the caging systems outweigh those of the staking or any other tomato plant support system.
First, the cages are relatively stable, and sturdy, which is quite handy especially if you live in a windy location. Secondly, unlike the staking method, caging is not labor-intensive and does not need regular maintenance.
Finally, though they take up a larger space, this big footprint allows the tomato plants to grow and blossom vigorously without the need of pruning or tying them with a knot.
How to Use Tomato Cage Cone
Cages are ideal for tall-growing tomato varieties. Tomato cages are available in several designs. Popular cage designs include rectangular, triangular, and conical.
Cone-shaped cages are usually available in 4-foot height, though smaller versions are available. Due to their height, the cone-shaped cages are suitable for determinate tomato species that do not grow more than 4 or 5 feet tall
In the section below, we look at how to use tomato cage cone.
- Step 1: Select a cone-shaped cage large and tall enough to support your expected mature size of the plant. Ideally, a 4-foot cage is suitable for determinate species, while a 6-foot cage is ideal for indeterminate varieties
- Step 2: Set the cage at once after transplanting the seedling from their seedbed, or at least ten days of transplanting. Set the cage by pushing the legs into the soil until the bottom ring rest on the ground while the plant is at the center of the cage.
- Step 3: For maximum support, hammer a 2-foot stake into the ground, and bury the bottom 8/10 inches on each side of the cone. After that, tie each stake to the cage using a piece of cloth or plastic. By doing this, you bolster the strength of the cage stopping it from falling over under the weight of the plant as it grows.
- Step 4: As the plant grows, you can pull the drooping branches through the cage opening to prevent them from touching the ground.
- Step 5: To stop the tomato plant from overgrowing the cone-shaped cage, pinch off the top of each main step in case it grows above the topmost tier of the cage. Pinching helps the plant to grow more lateral branches and prevents upward growth once you pick the stem tips.
How to Make Tomato Cages
Making a tomato cage is a simple DIY project. If you are growing or rather planting on a small scale, a small cage or even a stake is sufficient. However, if you are planning on growing larger tomato plants to feed your family, or for commercial purposes, you need something sturdier, such as homemade cages.
The most popular type of home-made cage is the wire cages. If you are using a wire cage, you can either choose to recycle poultry fencing into a makeshift cage or purchase a 60″ by 60″ tall wire with a 6-inch square opening.
Here are the steps for building a tomato cage using wire.
- Measure off and cut the desired length of fencing
- Lay the entire wire fabric on the ground to cut and then roll it up into a single column when finished
- Weave a wooden stake or a short piece of pipe through the wires; this helps in anchoring the cage to the ground.
- Hammer the stake into the ground next to the tomato plant
Though the tomatoes are grown inside the cage rarely need any tying, you can offer a helping hand to the vines by loosely tying the stalks to the cage with soft pieces of cloth, twine, or pantyhose.
Can You Use Tomato Trellis for Cucumbers?
Yes, aside from tomatoes, cucumbers can grow in tomato cages.
Cucumbers usually grow in two forms; vining and bush. Cucumber vining can survive while scrambling along the ground or clambering up trellises and cages just like tomatoes. Though they are easy to train, cucumber grows fast, and you must be vigilant. Otherwise, they can get away from you.
When using tomato cages for cucumber, you need to make some adjustments though. For a start, you may want to supplement the gaps between the rings with extra twines and probably would want to weave the vines ups.
Secondly, most of the tomato cages are available with three rings, and that is not tall enough for the cucumbers. Therefore, you would want to wire 2 or 3 of them together, stacked on top of each other, and then add some extra wires and string to make it work.
How Tall Should A Tomato Trellis Be?
When it comes to the height of your tomato trellis, there is no height “rule” or how tall your trellis should be- all boils down to personal preferences, plant type, and variety.
The height of the tomato trellis should be adjustable and easily changed depending on the plant or sun need.
However, the ideal height for most of the tomato trellis is 5 feet tall. Though shorter people might need a ladder when harvesting, that height keeps the tomato plants from being too tall yet giving the plants sufficient room to sprawl if required.
FAQs:
Q: What other vegetables grow on tomato trellis?
A: There are plenty of veggies that can grow on tomato trellis including cucumber, beans and peas, squash, and melons.
Q: Is pruning necessary at all?
A: Pruning is not mandatory but necessary if you want taller plants or large fruits. Pruning removes excess vines that start to form where the leaf meets the main stem.
Q: What’s the difference between “indeterminate” and “determinate” tomatoes?
A: Determinate tomatoes usually ripen at approximately the same time and require a limited amount of staking for support. On the other hand, indeterminate tomatoes grow and produce fruit until killed by frost. They bloom, set new fruits, and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the season. Indeterminate tomatoes require substantial staking for support.
Tomatoes play a crucial role in our diet and from the article above, it’s clear that growing tomatoes is not as hard as it seems; with proper support mechanisms, you can now grow tomatoes within your backyard.
We hope that our best tomato trellis, tomato cages, and stakes: 2019 reviews and guide above shall help you in making the right decision when buying your next tomato trellis.
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