How to Stake Tomatoes & the Best Tomato Plant Stakes

Have you been looking for a simple way to support your tomato plants instead of letting them sprawl? There’s no time like the present to make the switch to a better tomato-growing method.

In this blog post, you’ll learn how to stake tomatoes, what to use for tomato plant stakes, and the right way to tie up your plants.

Growing Great Tomatoes

Pruning tomato plants and properly supporting them are two of the biggest factors in tomato growing success. Skip these and you just won’t get maximum production or health out of indeterminate tomatoes!

Pruning and staking are great deterrents of diseases like tomato blight and powdery mildew, and good preventative pest control measures too. But did you know that pruning and staking can even improve the taste of your tomatoes?!

Tomatoes generate their sugars from the sun, so getting the fruit into the sunlight and out from behind bushy foliage will make tomatoes sweeter and more flavorful. And who doesn’t want more delicious tomatoes?

Which Varieties Need Tomato Plant Stakes?

Almost all tomato plants need some form of support, even if you’re growing tomatoes in containers. The type of support you need should be based on which type of tomato plant you are growing.

Determinate and semi-determinate tomato varieties will typically only need 3 or 4 feet of support, whereas indeterminates need at least 7 or 8 feet in most cases. It might seem crazy to stick an 8-foot pole in the ground next to a 2-foot plant, but remember, this tomato plant won’t be 2 feet tall for very long!

Methods of Supporting Tomato Plants

You'll see all kinds of methods out there for growing and supporting tomatoes. Throughout my gardening career, I’ve tried almost every method, and these are some of my favorites:

• Florida Weave - This genius method uses stakes and twine to keep tomato plants from sprawling on the ground. If you are growing a lot of tomatoes, the Florida weave is a must-try!

• Tomato Cages - Store-bought tomato cages just aren’t up to the job. They can barely hold up a pepper plant, much less an indeterminate tomato! That’s why I recommend building old-school, DIY tomato cages that will last a lifetime. They’re quick and inexpensive to make.

• Cattle Panel Trellis - You would probably be surprised how easy it is to build a cattle panel trellis. This simple trellis can even support melons and squash!

• Tomato Plant Stakes - I’ve had great success in the past with the staking method I am sharing in this blog post.

Any of these vertical gardening methods and garden trellis ideas will keep tomatoes supported and healthy, but staking is one of the simplest. There is no reason to overcomplicate the process, especially if you are still learning how to grow tomatoes. Anyone can stake tomatoes without needing to buy fancy equipment or spend a lot of money.

Supplies Needed

• Tomato Plant Stakes - You will need one 8-foot T-post for each tomato plant. T-posts can usually be purchased from a local hardware store. They are very sturdy, and you can reuse them year after year! Pro-Tip: Wooden 8-foot furring stakes are another great option if you are looking for something less expensive that will still last several seasons. I’ve used both with great success.

• Hammer - You may need a hammer to drive the T-posts into the soil if you cannot push them in deep enough by hand.

• Fantastic Elastic Tomato String - I absolutely love this stuff! It is, by far, the best thing for securing tomato plants to stakes. It is strong enough to hold the plant up, but stretchy enough to move with the wind and not cut into the stem. It also doesn’t get brittle in the sun. You’ll thank me later!

• Scissors - You will need scissors to cut the elastic string.

Here are some bonus tomato growing supplies that aren’t necessary, but they just might become your new favorites!

• MIgardener Garden Tie Tape - This tape is ideal for securing plants to stakes or trellises if you prefer using tape over elastic string. The tape is easily cut and can stretch with the plant growth over the gardening season, so it will not constrict the plants.
  

• Tomato Saver Truss Supports - Are you tired of losing beautiful clusters of tomatoes because they get too large and pinch the stem? Formerly only used by professional greenhouse growers, these plastic arch supports fit around the truss of tomatoes, adding enough support to safely hold 3 pounds of tomatoes without snapping the stem!

• C-Clip Supports - These clips are durable and very effective at safely supporting the fruits and the vine. The crook cinches around the string or trellising material to keep the vine held in the air. To be used with twine, nylon netting, and stringing, these are great for tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and small melons or gourds.

How to Stake Tomatoes

Make sure to prune your tomato plants before staking them! (Read this blog post if you don’t know how to prune tomato plants.) Then, follow these simple steps to stake tomatoes:

1. Stake Location - Find the best location for each stake. The stakes should go behind each plant (not on the outside of a row or bed) about 4 to 6 inches away from the base of the tomato plant, so you don’t risk damaging the roots.

2. Drive in the Posts - Simply push or hammer the T-posts (or furring stakes) into the soil 8 to 12 inches deep behind each tomato plant.

3.  Cut the String  - Cut off pieces of Fantastic Elastic Tomato String about 10 inches long, one for each plant.

4. Secure the String - Using the elastic string, make a loop around the stake and around the far side of the tomato’s main stem. Check to make sure the string goes under the tomato plant's lowest set of branches. Tie a double knot to secure the plant to the stake. Pro-Tip: The string should be tied snugly around the tomato plant so that it leans towards the stake up to a 45° angle, but not any tighter.

5. Secure the Rest of the Plant - Continue cutting 10-inch pieces of elastic tomato string and securing the plant to the stake at 1-foot intervals up the plant's height. You will want to continue to do this as it grows.

It’s that simple. I hope this helps you grow bigger!