Last Updated on September 28, 2023
There are so many ways to support and train tomato plants: cages, strings, stakes, wire panels… we’ve tried them all! But let me tell you about my favorite DIY tomato trellis system. We came up with the design last summer, and it was a HUGE success! It’s tidy, effective, sturdy, and makes harvesting a breeze! It also looks pretty darn slick in your garden.
This post will show you how to make the best DIY tomato trellis ever (IMHO) along with tips on how to prune and train tomato plants during the growing season. I also made a video tutorial to walk you through the entire simple process – but don’t miss the photos and details below!
If you need more tomato tips, be sure to check out our Organic Tomato Grow Guide.
Table of contents
The Training Method
This tomato trellis works best for vining or indeterminate tomato varieties. On the other hand, bush or determinate tomatoes are best not pruned and grown in cages – like these sturdy DIY tomato cages. The training style we’ll use on this tomato trellis is a hybrid between the Florida weave and single leader methods.
In a single leader method (sometimes known as single stake or single string method), tomato plants are heavily pruned to remove ALL “suckers” or side branches. Heavy pruning significantly reduces the number of fruit each plant produces. However, the fruit is higher quality in flavor, texture and size. Plants are spaced as close together as 12 inches apart, and the one remaining leader stem is trained up a stake or string. It takes a lot of diligence and pruning, and single-leader plants can reach unruly heights.
With a Florida Weave, tomato plants are minimally pruned and spaced 24 to 36 inches apart. A stake is placed between each plant, where they’re tucked or sandwiched between horizontal rows of string or twine for support. Without pruning, the Florida weave will create a wall of tomatoes that can be quite dense and heavy.
Our stake-weave tomato trellis and training system harnesses the best aspects of both methods, explained below.
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Tomato Trellis Benefits
- Spacing tomato plants 18 to 24 inches apart and training them into a slender vertical wall maximizes space in the garden or compact spaces. It also allows plenty of room along the base of the tomatoes to grow companion plants such as basil, marigolds, peppers, bush beans, or other flowers and herbs. See our printable companion planting chart for more ideas!
- Moderate pruning keeps the plants manageable, the fruit quality at its best and easy to harvest – but it’s also more carefree and forgiving than the single-leader method.
- Less foliage means better airflow, and therefore reduced disease and pest pressure. Yet leaving several side branches per plant also offers enough foliage to protect most fruit from sunburn or sunscald.
- This tomato trellis design is really versatile. It’s easy to adapt to raised beds, in-ground gardens, or along a wall. It can also be made with a variety of materials.
- We chose not to permanently install our tomato trellis in the garden. Yet the design is easy to take down, store, and reassemble each season.
Supplies Needed
- A sturdy frame with a horizontal top support that’s at least 6 feet tall off the ground or soil level. We created an A-frame tomato trellis using 8 ft redwood 2×2 boards, though you can use other materials or designs to create yours (e.g. metal conduit pipe, PVC, a straight T-trellis, etc) or consider this pre-made trellis frame. See more details about our frame below.
- 8 foot tall garden stakes (we use these ones) – or stakes tall enough to extend at least 18 inches into the ground and also reach the top of the trellis frame. Use 1 stake per tomato plant, plus two – one extra at the end of each row or bed. You could also use rebar, wood stakes, fence T-posts, or other long sturdy materials that you’re able to drive or dig into the ground.
- Garden twine (mid-weight jute or hemp) for the horizontal weave portion, as well as to secure the stakes to the frame.
- Soft garden wire or tomato clips, to tie the main leader stem up the stake
Our tomato trellis frame
Using 8-foot 2×2″ redwood boards (true measurement 1 3/8″ x 1 3/8″), we created an “A frame” on each end of the bed. We cut the legs at a slight angle so they’d sit flush on the 4×4 corners inside the raised bed, and also at the top where they meet the horizontal support. Screws hold the boards together at the top, plus a metal brace to help further secure them. We also added a short horizontal piece of wood across each pair of legs (to make the “A”) for stability.
I designed our tomato trellis to be plenty sturdy (especially once the stakes are connected to it), but not directly attached to our raised beds. I didn’t want to drill holes into the raised beds. We also like to take it down at the end of the season while we grow winter crops instead. Plus, we try our best to practice crop rotation so we aren’t necessarily growing tomatoes in the same bed next season! However, feel free to add additional support if needed – such as with T-posts, or by screwing the trellis to your garden bed.
Tomato Trellis Assembly and Use
- Space stakes and plants every 18 to 24 inches. In a 4×8 foot bed, we plant four tomatoes spaced about 22 inches apart.
- Add an additional stake at the end of each row of plants. This stake can be slightly closer (12-18”) if needed, since side branches from only one tomato plant will grow in that section of the weave. See photo below.
- Using twine, firmly tie the top of each stake to the horizontal support or frame. I wrap the twine around many times to make it tight and secure.
- Next, add horizontal rows of twine, spaced 1 foot apart up the entire length of the stakes. Use two layers of twine per row so you can tuck branches between them. Also try to keep the twine as tight as possible (it will naturally stretch out a little with time). You can add just a few rows at first, then add more as the plants grow too.
- Plant one tomato plant at the base of each stake. We usually prune off the lowest 2-3 branches and plant our tomatoes deep, burying several inches of the stem.
Pruning and Training Tomatoes Up the Trellis
- As plants grow, continue to secure the main central leader to the stake using reusable soft garden wire or tomato clips.
- Remove at least half of the “suckers” or side branches. Keep one central leader and 4 to 6 side branches on each plant. To remove suckers, simply pinch them off when they’re still small. See photos below. It’s best to remove the lowest 2 to 3 suckers, favoring those higher up the plant instead. Keep a couple on each side of the plant.Remember that sucker stems eventually grow their own suckers too!
- While they’re still small and pliable, gently tuck the side branches between the layers of twine or string on either side of the plant. Don’t force it! If you miss a row and the branch has grown too long to weave without breaking it, simply skip the row and tuck it up into the next one.
- Check the plants about once per week during the growing season to tuck, tie, or trim branches as needed. Continue to prune and remove most of the suckers as the plants grow. Judge and adjust pruning based on how crowded things become.
- By the end of the season, the plants will reach the top of the trellis and may start to flop over. That’s okay! We just let ‘em hang.
- Don’t prune or top the central leader – that signals the plant to stop growing. At the very end of the growing season, we gave our tomato trellises a “haircut” and pruned all the branches along the top frame. This forces the plants energy into ripening the remaining fruit rather than growing larger.
- When tomato season is over, simply cut the plants out and leave the roots in place (no-till style). Remove and compost the twine, and store the trellis frame and stakes away for next season!
Have a fantastic tomato season!
That wraps up this lesson on how to make the best tomato trellis ever. I say “best” in jest, but I really do love it – and hope you do too! If you give this tomato training system a try, let us know in the comments below. Or feel free to ask any questions you may have. Otherwise, we wish you a wonderful growing seasoning ahead. Enjoy!
Don’t miss these related posts:
- Organic Tomato Grow Guide
- Tomato Blossom End Rot: Myths, Prevention and Treatment
- 6 Ways to Train and Support Tomato Plants
- DIY Tomato Cage Tutorial: Sturdy and Cheap!
- How to Build Raised Garden Beds: Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Freeze Tomatoes (plus defrost and use)
- Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup(vegan)
- DIY Berry Trellis: How to Build a Wire Raspberry or Blackberry Trellis (Video)
