Stakes Vs Cages: Only One Support Solution Reigns Supreme For Tomato Growth

Before planting tomatoes, you'll obviously have to find a great support solution to keep your plants stable and growing in the right direction so that they produce loads of delicious fruit. However, there has always been some debate as to which method is best: stakes or cages? Of course, one support system is normally preferred over the other based on the type of tomato plants a person intends to grow. Cages have historically been suggested for growing determinate tomatoes, the kind that are bush-like and stop growing at a certain point, such as heirloom tomatoes. However, stakes are the support solution that reigns supreme for indeterminate (or vine-like) tomato growth, and they can even work for determinate ones, as well.

Granted, cages can be good when you're growing in raised beds because they don't take up all that much space. Plus, they're generally easy to set up and maintain. Unfortunately, most of the tomato cages you'll find at your local hardware store or garden center are usually quite lightweight and often just downright flimsy. You'll also notice that you need one cage per plant, which can be costly (or time-consuming, if you're making your own crates), though it's fine if you're just growing one group of them on a patio or balcony. You don't want to grow anything larger than a patio-type tomato variety in one, otherwise the plant may well outgrow the cage.

There are also some little-known downsides to using tomato cages, like how they make your plants more susceptible to fungal diseases. Plus, you'll find that harvesting the fruit can be a little more challenging. On the other hand, if you want to grow larger varieties and skip the traditional tomato cage, then tall and sturdy stakes are the best option.

If you've grown them before, then you know that indeterminate tomatoes will just keep growing and growing, and if you don't spend some time taming them, they could take over your entire garden. So, unless you plan to make your own sturdy and robust cages using something like concrete reinforcing mesh or livestock fencing, stakes are the only solution that will provide the support your growing vines need. They'll keep your plants under control, neat, and easy to maintain. You'll also find it much easier to harvest your fruits once they're ripe.

Of course, using stakes means that you're going to have to put in a bit more effort to train the plants into single stems and prune them consistently to keep them that way. The most important thing to remember is that you want sturdy stakes pushed deep enough into the ground that they won't easily fall over under the weight of the vine and the ripening fruit. You want them pushed at least 6 to 12 inches into the ground to achieve this effect. For this reason, it's best to select either metal or heavy-duty bamboo stakes. 

You'll also need twine or clips that you can use to attach the plant to the stake at intervals. To ensure your plant grows neatly up the support with just a single stem, you'll want to be vigilant and remove any suckers as soon as they appear. Finally, if you have a couple of tomato cages lying around that you're no longer going to use for their intended purpose, why not upcycle them into adorable porch decor for every season?