I love tomatoes. That is, fresh tomatoes from the garden. Heirloom varieties are my favorite along with Roma for sauces and canning projects. This year we have around 50 tomato plants, which is enough for a few families. Any damaged fruit is fed to the chickens. I can honestly say that no tomato is wasted.
In our vegetable garden we use two techniques to hold up our plants. One method used is with the traditional cage. The second and preferred process is the Florida Stake and Weave (Florida Weave) that is used by many farmers and commercial growers. It’s simple, cheap and very effective for trellising indeterminate and determinate tomatoes. Keeps them off the ground, allows for easier weeding and faster picking.
In our video, Ethan explains the Florida Stake and Weave process. He uses metal stakes but wood will work fine. The tomato twine/string is in a box with slits for attaching to a belt. It can be found online or at your local garden stores.
After harvest, cleaning is a breeze and without the hassles of storing large and odd shaped wire cages. We enjoy our tomatoes we we’re always trying new things to improve our process. Please let us know your experience with growing tomatoes by commenting on our blog or Facebook page.