How to Trellis Tomatoes the Easy Way: Trellis Like A Pro

Growing a good tomato is sought after by gardeners everywhere.  Learning to trellis tomatoes like a pro is key in growing the perfect tomatoes.

Trellis Tomatoes Like A Pro in the Vegetable Garden

Learning to trellis tomatoes for additional support is a skill every gardener must master in order to grow different varieties of indeterminate tomatoes.  With all the different methods out there it may take several seasons of growing indeterminate tomato plants to find the tomato trellis ideas that works best for you, your budget, and your skill set. 

Hopefully I can help you take a look at what I think are the best methods to trellis tomatoes.  I will also let you in on a little secret on how the pros trellis tomatoes, which was a game changer for me. I just can’t believe I grew tomatoes for so long before I found, what I think, is the easiest and sturdiest vertical trellis method. No wonder the pros do it this way!

My Top 5 Different Ways to Trellis Tomatoes 

While I do have my favorite, which I will start with, there are some other trellis methods that work incredibly well.  Ultimately, how you trellis tomatoes may depend on your garden.  

Are you growing a long row of tomatoes in the ground or maybe just a couple in a raised bed? A good tomato trellis can be considered a good garden tool.

Lean and Lower (Vertical String Method)

After years of growing tomatoes, I finally found a method to trellis tomatoes that I love. A lot of professional growers, especially ones that are growing in high tunnels or greenhouses, trellis tomatoes using the vertical string method or the lean and lower method. I do not grow in a high tunnel but use this method in my backyard garden.  

The lean and lower method of trellising indeterminate tomatoes has many advantages. I have found that this method keeps your tomatoes nice and neat for maximum fruit production and disease resistance. When done properly with good pruning, along with lowering and leaning, it increases productivity and keeps your plants healthier. This method works incredibly well for your larger indeterminate slicer tomatoes.

Supplies You’ll Need for the Lean and Lower Method

• Tomahooks
• Two 4×4 posts
• A cable to run from post to post

Using the Lean and Lower Method

To use this method, you use tomahooks.  The end of the string on the hook is planted at the base of the plant or loosely tied to the plant to run vertically up to your support system. You then hook the tomahook to your support system and the tomato will gradually grow up the vertical string. As the tomato plant gets taller, you can give it more string trellis by unwrapping string from the tomahook above and moving the hook further down the line, creating more length for the tomato to grow, while not getting too tall for you to reach. Tomatoes are then able to grow longer lengths without getting taller than your support system.  

You can take a look at my lean and lower tomato trellis in the video below.

As I mentioned earlier, many pros who grow in high tunnels use this method, using the ceiling of the tunnel for their support system. Since I don’t grow in a high tunnel, I just have wooden posts installed on each end of my tomato rows with a cable running from the end posts for my support system. 

One of the best features of trellising tomatoes this way is the setup and take down. It literally takes minutes. The tomahooks can be put away at the end of the season, with easy storage, compared to a traditional trellis or tomato cages. 

Trellis Tomatoes with Cattle Panels

Another popular method to trellis tomatoes is to use cattle panels or a hog panel. They can be used as an arch trellis or installed upright going straight down a garden row.  Using cattle panels to trellis tomatoes is incredibly sturdy and how I trellis my cherry tomatoes or a higher density tomato crop. With a few metal t-posts and a cattle panel you can have a trellis last will last for years that is able to support a lot of tomatoes.

Supplies You’ll Need for an Arch Trellis

• 16 ft Cattle Panel
• 4 metal T-posts
• ​Heavy duty zip ties or wire tie

Installing an Arch Trellis

To install an arch trellis, start by pounding two heavy-duty steel posts in the ground spaced about two feet apart.  Directly across form those, about 5-6 feet away, install another two metal t-post. You can then bend a full sized cattle panel in between your sets of t-posts and secure the cattle panel to the posts with zip ties or wire tie. 

Cattle or wire panels can also be installed upright, straight down a garden row as a trellis.  With this method, I like to install my t-posts then attach the cattle panel to the t-posts about a foot off of the ground. Your tomatoes will reach the trellis quickly and the extra foot of height will be needed for those indeterminate tomatoes. 

The downside of using a cattle panel to trellis tomatoes is getting it home from the store.  If you are wanting to make an arch trellis, you need to keep the cattle panel in it’s full 16ft long size.  Installing the cattle panel upright makes it easier to take home, as you can cut the 16ft panel in half at the store.

The Florida Weave Trellis

The Florida Weave method is also another great way to trellis tomatoes, especially if you are growing several long rows of tomatoes.  This trellis creates a nice string trellis for tomatoes, kind of like a basketweave system. It’s a very inexpensive type of support system to train tomato plants on.

Supplies You’ll Need for the Florida Weave

• Tall wooden stakes, one for each end of your row and every six feet
• Roll of twine or string

Installing the Florida Weave

To implement the Florida weave, the first thing is to install a wooden stake at the end of the row and every 6 feet down your row of tomatoes.  Attach a piece of twine or string to the end pole. Moving down your row of tomatoes, weave the piece of twine in and out, alternating which side the string is on. As you weave through your row of tomatoes, and come to a wooden stake, wrap the piece of twine around the stake and continue weaving through the tomato plants until you get to the end.  As your plants get taller you can add another row of weaving down the row.  

Single Wooden Stakes or Bamboo Stakes to Trellis Tomatoes

Using a wooden stake or bamboo poles is another way you can trellis indeterminate tomatoes.  This method works good, especially if you only have a couple tomatoes to stake. If you are going to use this method, just be sure your pole is installed deeply into the ground so it is able to hold up the tomato plant.  As the main stem of the tomato grows up the post you can attach it using some twine.  This method only works well if you are keeping your tomato plants down to a single leader.  

Heavy Duty Individual Tomato Cages

When it comes to using tomato cages, not just any tomato cage will do the trick and you’ll need two cages per tomato for them to work.  Look for a taller, heavy duty, large tomato cage. Don’t waste your time or money on the smaller flimsy cages for tomatoes. 

Supplies You’ll Need for Tomato Cages

• Two heavy duty cages per tomato plant
• One wooden stake per tomato plant 
• Zip ties

Installing Tomato Cages

After you have your tomato planted, go ahead and install your first heavy duty tomato cage into the ground, over the tomato plant.  Push the long legs of the tomato cage down into the ground as far as you can.  Once your first sturdy cage is installed, go ahead and pound a wooden stake within the tomato cage.  This will provide extra support as the plant gets taller and heavier.

After your wooden stake is in the ground, take your second sturdy cage, flip it upside down and place it directly on top of the first tomato cage.  The top rings of the cages should match up exactly.  Go ahead an zip tie those top rings together. This method of trellising tomatoes is great for your tall bushy, indeterminate varieties of cherry tomato plants. 

Why Trellis Tomatoes in the Home Garden

Trellises keep tomatoes, which love to climb off the ground. Trellising is the easiest way to protect them from pests and disease. Trellising tomatoes helps provide good air circulation, which will help keep fungal diseases at bay. It also keeps tomato plants off the ground, giving your more space in the garden. A properly trellised tomato is also easier to harvest and prune. 

The Importance of Growing Indeterminate Tomatoes Vertically

• Less Breakage
• Not as Susceptible to Pests
• Less Fungal Diseases

Choose the Right Support System

Different methods of trellising tomatoes in the home garden work better than others depending upon your setup and types of tomatoes you want to grow. For instance, indeterminate tomatoes love to climb a trellis or vertical string. This is also a good choice if you are a heavy pruner of your tomatoes.

On the other hand, double tomato cages may be better suited if you have plenty of space and little time for pruning and tying vines. If growing a lot of plants in long rows is your thing, you may want to look at the Florida Weave or cattle panels for your trellising.  

Your tomato trellis may also depend on the type of tomato you are growing.  Are they determinate or indeterminate?

Are Your Tomatoes Determinate or Indeterminate?

Indeterminate tomatoes have an undetermined size. Meaning, they will climb as far as you will trellis them.  Whereas determinate tomatoes have a pre determined height.  Determinate tomatoes are usually a bushier type of tomato plant as they are pruned differently than indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate tomatoes usually do well in a double stacked tomato cage.

How Tall Does a Tomato Trellis Need to Be?

I like to aim to have my indeterminate tomato trellis to stand about 6-7 feet tall.  By the time my tomatoes reach that height the high heat and bugs that the summer months brings is in full effect. My climate rarely gives enough time for my tomatoes to grow any higher than that.  

Your determinate tomato trellis should be around 4-5 feet tall, depending on the variety.  Some determinate tomatoes don’t even grow that tall. 

Plant Indeterminate Tomatoes Along a Trellis

Once you have your trellis installed it’s time to plant. It’s always easiest to install the the trellis before you plant your young plants.  Every time I do it the opposite way I end up regretting it.  Inevitably, you wait too long and before your know it your tomatoes are falling over, begging to be trellised.  

So, do your tomatoes a favor and trellis before you plant.  Once your trellis is up, you should plant your tomatoes right under or slightly in front of the trellis depending on what style you went with. 

Attach Your Tomato Vines to the Trellis

As soon as your young plants can reach the trellis, go ahead and attach the main stem to the trellis.  You can use trellising clips, twine, bungee cords, or soft fabric strips.  Stay away from any hard material, like zip ties or fishing string, which can damage tomato plant stems. Natural fiber or especially made tomato clips are the best thing to use.

Know When and How to Prune

Pruning tomatoes is the best way to keep them manageable, healthy, and productive. They can actually get pretty out of control and unruly if they are not pruned.  

The best advice I have is to start early and make pruning a regular weekly task. By starting early, it will give you easy access around your plants from the start, not letting them get out of control. Pruning helps keep good airflow, which reduces fungal diseases, and also helps you spot pests on your tomato plants as you are pruning along. 

Prune Each Young Plant to a Single or Double Leader

There’s a couple different methods of pruning indeterminate tomatoes, a single leader or a double leader. Some folks that garden in a small space like the double leader method, as you essentially could get lots more fruit with that second leader or main stem.

Either way, maintaining just a single or double leader, or main stem, will help your tomato plant focus all their fruit production into those main stems, growing more in a small space, while keeping your plants nice and tidy. 

Pruning Tips for Indeterminate Tomatoes

Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing taller and taller during the growing season.  You’ll want to start by identifying the main stem coming out of the ground. Follow that up to the top, that is the growing tip, you do not want to cut that off during the growing season.

Once you have identified the main stem, identify your first set of flowers or fruit cluster from the bottom. I like to remove everything below that coming off of the main stem.  From there, moving up the plant, you will be looking for suckers.  

Suckers are new leaders trying to grow.  Keeping those trimmed off will help your plant focus it’s fruit production on either your single or double leader. You can identify suckers by looking for a stem that comes off of the main stem. In the armpit of that stem will be another trying to grow. Those are your suckers.  

Look over the whole plant and snip them off with sharp pruners or pop them off when they are small. Since suckers are essentially a new leader, these can be planted or rooted and will grow into another tomato plant. In addition to removing the suckers, you should also trim off any foliage that looks like it could have fugal diseases setting it.  

Pruning Tips for Determinate Tomatoes

Determinate plants have a determined height and a determined fruit set. For this reason, they are pruned differently. Some gardeners would say to not prune determinate tomato stems at all.  

I have found that in my hot, humid climate, my determinate tomatoes are able to keep fungal diseases at bay if they are pruned for good airflow only.  In this case, you should only be pruning off the leaves and stems that are not fruit producing.  

These are called the sun leaves.  They are the lower part of the armpit where those suckers are found. Trim some of those tomato stems off for better airflow, leaving the suckers, as your plant only has a determined set of fruit that it will produce. Removing suckers on determinate tomato plants will reduce your harvest.

Feed Your Tomato Plants

Feeding your tomato plants throughout the growing season will help to give you an abundance of tomatoes.  At planting time, I like to give each tomato a handful of worm castings and a couple of teaspoons of Epsom salt. Throughout the growing season I will side dress them with compost or more worm castings and give them a weekly dose of swamp water. 

​Harvesting for the Best Fruit Production

When your tomatoes are finally setting fruit, keep them picked. It will signal the plant to keep producing more fruit.  I like to pick my tomatoes at breaker stage.  At breaker stage, your tomatoes will be about half pinkish red and half green. You can harvest tomatoes at this point and bring them inside to finish ripening. It does not effect the final flavor.  It’s beneficial to harvest at this stage to save your tomatoes from splitting or bug damage. 

What to Do When Your Tomato Plant Outgrows Its Cage?

If your tomato out grows its cage you have a couple different options. First thing, you could consider how you could add to your trellis, which could get tricky as some DIY trellis can be questionable. Secondly, you could just decide to mange and keep the plant you have and stop its growth by topping off the tomato plant.  This will signal to the plant that it’s time to stop growing and focus on the fruit that it’s already producing.

Topping off at the End of the Season

You may come to a point in the season where you need the plant to stop growing. Perhaps you are just ready for all those green tomatoes to ripen up because your warm season is ending with your first frost nearing. Whatever the case, you may need to top off your tomato plant.  

Find your single or double leader main stems. Follow those all the way up to the top and cut off the growing tip.  This will stop any further growth at the end of the growing season. It will signal to the plant to start ripening the fruits that are already on the plant. 

What Happens if You Don’t Trellis Tomatoes?

Without sturdy stakes, indeterminate tomato varieties will likely flop onto the ground and vine all over creation.  Indeterminate vines all over the ground will create an environment where fungal diseases and pests will thrive.  Fruit that comes into contact with the ground will likely rot.

For all these reasons, it really is the best practice to trellis tomatoes, especially indeterminate or large determinate varieties.  If tomato trellises really aren’t your thing and you really want to grow tomatoes, look for determinate bush tomatoes or patio varieties of tomatoes.  Some of those varieties need zero or at least very little trellising with a small tomato cage from your local garden center. Both Roma tomatoes and Homestead tomatoes are a great option for little to no trellising.

Happy Homesteading & Gardening,

Jenny @ The GrahamStead Family Farm

Jenny and her family have been homesteading for over 20 years. They are currently farming on their 10 acre Florida farm, that they built from the ground up, 8 years ago, growing 100% of their meat and a lot of their vegetables. From their small herd of Aberdeen Angus Cattle, Pastured Poultry, Sheep, and seasonal pigs, they are able to raise enough meat for the family while selling extra to the community. All the while, striving to butcher at home, as much as possible, and use the bits and pieces of their harvest by preserving food, making bone broth, and (Jenny’s favorite) tanning all kinds of hides!