| The sad truth when it comes to staking | | | | Clipping off the bottom leaves and extra shoots |
| tomatoes is that you can do nothing and still get | | | | will help make the main stem of the vine stronger. |
| plenty of tomatoes. That is the way the large | | | | Pinching off new growth to channel the energy to |
| growers do it, so why do backyard gardeners | | | | help make juicy tomatoes can be easily |
| feel they need to stake their tomato plants? | | | | accomplished when they are staked or in cages. |
| Staking or using cages designed for tomato plants | | | | Cons of using stakes or cages for solving tomato |
| solves several tomato gardening problems and is | | | | gardening problems. |
| advice frequently found in most tomato growing | | | | First Con: Stakes and cages require a large |
| tips and guidebooks. This article will discuss some | | | | amount of work to maintain. Cages are a bit |
| of the pros and cons of staking tomatoes. | | | | easier, but both can be wobbly and when it gets |
| Pros of using stakes and cages for solving | | | | dry come lose from the soil. You also need to do |
| tomato gardening problems: | | | | lots of maintenance to keep the stems firm and |
| First Pro: The tomatoes that are in cages or | | | | root systems strong. You do this by keeping |
| stakes take up less space than if they spread all | | | | them tied up, which means tying new shoots and |
| over the ground. Large fields have the luxury of a | | | | re tying old ones each and every day |
| lot of space, most backyard gardeners do not. | | | | Second Con: A disadvantage is definitely the fact |
| Some people with no space for a full garden will | | | | that during a pounding thunderstorm or heavy |
| put a few plants around the house or will be | | | | wind the whole thing will fall over anyway. Even |
| growing container tomatoes on their decks. The | | | | the cages can fall over. Sometimes the vines get |
| stakes help keep them neatly controlled and in | | | | bent so far that it is hard to get it all back and |
| order. | | | | straight. Often you need to find new stakes as |
| Second Pro: This has to do with the prevention of | | | | the first one broke in the storm. |
| tomato rot and mold. When they are on the | | | | Yes, it is true that if you have the space, and |
| ground, there is one side that never gets any sun. | | | | have a lot of mulch you can add to regularly to |
| If the ground or the mulch gets wet and stays | | | | keep the tomatoes dry, letting them spread out |
| wet, mold that turns to rot can easily develop. | | | | on the ground will work. Some of the juicy |
| With stakes and cages the tomatoes are up off | | | | tomato growing tips out there will tell you to use |
| the ground where the warm air and sun can get | | | | a raised bed and let them go. This can even help |
| to them keeping them dry and limiting the chance | | | | back strain and the ease at which you can get to |
| for mold and rot to set in. A lot more information | | | | the vines. Most people do not have that luxury |
| on tomato disease can be found in tomato | | | | and want to solve their tomato gardening |
| growing tips and advice guides. | | | | problems that deal with rot and disease by using |
| Third Pro: You can manage the growth patterns | | | | stakes or cages that will also save space and |
| of your plants easier since you can see them | | | | make them easy to take care of. |
| without bending over and straining your back. | | | | |