There are almost as many ways to trellis tomatoes as there are TOMATOES, but here are three tried-and-true methods that work for me. The Florida Weave is the most budget option at about $20-30 bucks for 4-6 tomato plants, then the conduit kit is a little pricier but better for huge indeterminates, and finally the lower and lean trellis works well if you want to keep the same tomatoes growing for the entire season and get a huge yield. Finally, some options for you with container tomato trellises.
0:00 – Intro
0:47 – Overall Plan
1:06 – Florida Weave
3:02 – Planting Tomatoes
4:59 – Tying Florida Weave
6:15 – Conduit Trellis
8:18 – Tying String on Conduit
8:53 – Using Tomato Clips
10:53 – Lower and Lean
12:51 – Container Trellis Options
13:58 – Final Thoughts
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Espoma Organic has been organic from the start and makes absolutely epic potting mixes, and organic fertilizers. Their Tomato-Tone is perfect for growing epic tomatoes: https://www.espoma.com/where-to-buy/
IN THIS VIDEO
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→ T Posts: Shop at a local big box store
→ Tomato Twine: https://amzn.to/2QkE5Id
→ Tomato Clips: https://amzn.to/3xlbRgR
→ Conduit Kit from Gardeners: https://bit.ly/32HRhsX
→ Tomahook: https://sandiegoseedcompany.com/product/tools-and-merchandise/tomahooks/
→ Tomato Cage from Gardeners: https://bit.ly/3nhQRTG
→ Vertex Trellis from Gardeners: https://bit.ly/3016sgW
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Last summer I grew 7 ft tall tomatoes using the string method with the conduit. Worked really well. I didn't use clips or stakes. Just tied twine to the conduit at the top and ran it down the the base of the tomato. From there all you need to do is wrap it around the stem from the base up and as it grows, you just keep wrapping the twine around the stem. It grips the tomato quite well so it supports the weight easily. Had an amazing crop for months. Huge tomato plants. Also used it on cucumbers and peas and tomatillos. The best part is, it makes it very easy to get in and prune or harvest or water your plants vs a tomatoes cage or even the Florida weave.
Nothin too fancy…
Any reason why you can’t do the Florida weave with 5 gallon bucket tomato plants??
And why is it the "Florida Weave?" We can be the only state that does this on the large ag scale…
Laughing at constrictor knot…. It's called a clove hitch…
Kevin, another great video. Are you Filipino or of part Filipino extraction? Would you be able to do a video on Upo
And ampalia in the future. I love upo, bitter melon and snow peas.
Kuya Kevin, your videos are awesome and very informative.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Be blessed…
That's a sod staple.
I like that constrictor knot. Very nice!
I was today years old when I learned plasticized is a word.
So much great info!!! I'm having a terrible time finding those conduit brackets you're using, I see there's another angle of them at the bottom for support. What sort of store or section of big stores did you find these? Thanks so much
Thank you for clearly explaining how to use them tomatoe clamps. Very helpful….BA….
For t post they make a driver that makes it much easier than dragging out a ladder and hitting with a hammer. Also that particular conduit is called emt conduit or thin wall. Ridged conduit is much thicker but a bit more expensive.
Cheaper way to do the conduit is get 3, 10 foot sticks of 3/4 inch conduit ($12 in my area). Notch the end of two of them with a hacksaw (no need to be pretty) and drill a hole a little lower and perpendicular to the notch. Drop a string stake where each plant will go (6 with 18 inch spacing), then push the conduit 2 feet into the ground between where the last two plants go on each end. Take the last un-notched conduit and lay it in the notches and secure it with a wire through the holes you drilled. Tie a string above where each plant will go, put your plants in the ground, tie string to stake, and push it in the ground next to the plant. As the plant grows just twist it around the string. I have been doing this for 15 years and works well and still using original conduit. Only issue is need to leave enough room between rows for a stepladder for when the plants get taller than you can reach.
Tks for sharing this tutorial with us
Can I use copper wire for trellising tomatoes?
So what do you do when your tomatoes get too tall for the Florida Weave stakes? And/or advice for when a tomato stalk gets too heavy and wants to fold over?
Can you also grow mushrooms? Just curious how it would look if you did it.
I'm worried the twine would be too abrasive and would scratch my plants as the slide up it when growing or when brushing against it when windy. This I fear would cause wounds/damage from the scratches. This in turn would make it more susceptible to diseases and pests. Cotton string would be softer but fear it'd become mildewy/moldy from retaining water and be too heavy from the water weight. What would be the safest string/twine/tape, etc. to use then? Help!
Now you're teaching how to farm…… miss the old days
Where to buy hay for mulching garden bed?
You're a gem!!! Thanks for all the effort in helping us get in the know.
What type of twine can be used for the first trellis?