Every year I have the hardest time keeping the tomatoes staked. I grow the indermediate type which get really tall. This year I put a tomato plant at the end of each garden row to be able to control them better, adds up to about 40 plants. Here's the question....we have lots and lots of rock so I am unable to use wooden stakes or flimsy cages, got any unusual ideas on how to keep the plants staked?

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 11, 2002

Answers

I am going to try lengths of rebar steel rods this year. I can't remember where I read about it, but it sure seems as if it would work. One time investment........use over and over again.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), May 11, 2002.

Diane, I had read on the "peace and carrots" web page about using rebar and then putting pvc pipe over it, (to make it taller) and was wondering if this would work. Are you running rope or something else, between the rebar to hold up the tomatoes? Does that make sense? Hard to explain.....

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 11, 2002.

last year,, I ran out of cages,, and used steel rods in the ground and wove a "net" of twine, around and in between and such,, worked great, was a pain to take down, but worked

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), May 11, 2002.

We use 6' "T" fence posts (driven into the ground about 1') amd a cage of wire (used to strengthen cement). We have had most of them for 5 years and even though they are rusty, they are still in great condition!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), May 12, 2002.

I use welded wire cages supported with t post and fill the inside with compost and plant 4 plants on the outside and tie off to the pig wire. Four plants yield nearly 500 pounds of maters.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 12, 2002.

5 foot T-posts driven about 1 foot into the ground and pantyhose strips to tie them up with. Still want to try Jay's idea sometime - need more fence or cattle panels!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 12, 2002.

Can you wire together some kind of free standing tripod arrangement? A few poles rigged similar to a teepee frame, one post straght down to tie the growing tomato plant to, let it it grow up in the middle.

-- Chelsea (rmbehr@istar.ca), May 12, 2002.

A friend got this idea from her organic grower/business friend. She used the re-bar material that is used in sidewalks. First she put the plant in about 4 inch raised beds and mulched very very well. Then sge bent the material and putit over the raised bed, looks like a greenhouse net of sorts. Works really well. Hopefully we'll do this next year.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), May 13, 2002.

I have used conduit pvc (grey uv resistant pvc) 1" as stakes between indeterminate tomatoes plants and make a support out of twine, looping it between the pvc posts and this allows for an easy access twine cage for each tomato plant and this adds to the support of the tomato row, so each pvc post does not take that much weight. This is used by commercial growers, the twine caging aspect, not necessarily the pvc posts. The addition or placement of the pvc upon rebar sounds like a good way to add support to the system.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), May 13, 2002.

Thanks you all for the great responses. Looks like I'm going with the rebar this year! Jay, that's a great idea on growing tomatoes like that. I've got a few extra plants left over that I couldn't bring myself to throw away and nowhere to put them. Thanks!

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), May 14, 2002.

Water through the compost to give em the tea.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), May 14, 2002.