If you suggest something that is available retail or mail order, I'd love a reference on that too.

Thanks!

I finally caved after lusting after these for years and bought 12--- I am SOOOOOO impressed. Hope you find something that works for you!

Four years and counting. No wear or tear yet. Best money I ever spent.

For what it's worth ---

Marcy

1- You love to string new string every few days, all summer long. Even when you are at the top of the poles, some will start breaking, some plants will need to be secured better, or your string (jute, etc) will stretch and need to be restrung)

2- You don't go on vacation all summer, and miss any of the restringing.

3- You don't mind spending a lot of time doing above stringing, only to have the plants still slip over at the end of summer.

4- You have a partner ALWAYS available to help you restring.

The end.

As you can see--- it was WAY more trouble than it was worth. I finally caved and got the tomato cages. Good luck though!

I am familiar with the Florida weave. It looks very neat. I am very, very lazy. :)

They have red ones now too, for strawberries.
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.M18984.desc.Set-of-2-Topsy-Turvy-Hanging-Patio-Strawberry-Planter

I am dropping broad hints to the hubby.

Last year, I decided to make a living wall of tomatoes on one side of my garden using the single string method. Except that instead of winding the plant around the string I used trellis clips. I put an eye bolt into the raised bed behind each tomato plant and a single vertical string through the bolt and over the support. Then I trained my tomatoes up that one string. Because I was short on space, I had to limit side branching on my plants, but this year I'm hoping to expand so I can give each plant 2-3 strings.

As for looks, I didn't take a picture but if you scroll to the bottom of this link it looked like the pictures at the bottom. Except that my supports were built out of metal conduit instead of wood.

It was really cheap, and I found that clipping the tomatoes was much less fussy than weaving or tying them. And half-way through the summer, the strings practically disappeared behind all the leaves and yummy tomatoes.

We just finished redoing the 20-year-old garden. I bought 6 of the Texas Tomato Cages to use in one of my beds. Love the way they're made to collapse when not in use. Seems to be a quality product, but the real test will come in the next few months as my tomato plants start to vine.

I also just remembered the pictures I saw of Martha's veggie garden last year. She trellised her tomatoes by making a teepee for each plant out of three long wooden stakes. Then she hung the string from the top of each teepee down to the plant and clipped the stem to the string.

Amy, can you tell me WHAT kind of string you used? I was thinking about a vinyl coated wire for strength. Would that work? And your trellis clips---do you have a good source?

Donna, let us know what you end up doing. Please?

ajpa- They sell those topsy turvy things at LTD Commodities for 7.95 each. Maybe even cheaper on eBay or other sources. Or...if you were handy, you could buy a tarp and sew them up yourself. Just throwing out cheaper alternatives is all.

I gotta go google tomato supports for some ideas. If there's anything more useless than a wire tomato cage, I don't know what it is.

And for the clips, I used two kinds. I had some green clips that looked like an 8 when I closed them. I think I got those at Home Depot. I also ordered some clips online from Johnny's Seeds. They sell some that are called 'Tomato Trellis Clips.' A pack of 100 was plenty for my small garden and I think it was about 10 dollars with shipping factored in.

Good luck! :)
-Amy

So, added to the piles of yucky, clay soil, I also have a trailer load of horse manure sitting in my driveway, two pallets of concrete blocks (the pretty kind), and a truckload of pinestraw that I am using for mulch. YUCK.
Thanks goodness for nice neighbors.

However, the three beds that are complete give me hope. I try to face them at all times as I am working:)

I love these ideas! Both the A-frame and the teepees are very cool. The teepees look very very easy (LOVE the flowerpot finials!). I may just go with those for this year, and try the Hoop trellises next year when I'm not up to my neck in construction.

I hear you, natal, about the cages needing to be very strong. I am growing Rutgers and Arkansas Traveller tomatoes this year and I know they get pretty big. I am thinking of using tent stakes in the ground at the base of each bamboo upright and wire or strong string to form horizontals every foot or so up and down their length. What do you think? (I always have to keep in mind the very good chance of hurricane force winds coming through just as the plants are at their biggest and heaviest.)

Anyway, thanks to you all for your input. Keep it coming! I actually put six tomatoes into my beds today. There was an article in Horticulture Magazine a month or two back on how to get your tomatoes in a month early. I'm actually within three weeks early, and there's no frost in the forecast, but I have some extra plants growing on just in case. Will let you know how it goes. :)

I LOVE living in the south this time of year! The bulbs and Redbuds are nearly finished and my azaleas, dogwoods, bridal wreath spireas, and viburnums are in their early bloom. BEAUTIFUL!

I was thinking of making something upside-downy from rice sacks (that come with handles).

While my tomatoes do kind of "outgrow" them by season's end, they still do the job and look really pretty doing it. I have sandy soil and they stay straight and upright all season, even with a heavy load of indeterminate tomato plants on them. No tying necessary, you just poke the plant growing tip(s) into the spiral once in awhile to keep it headed in the right direction.

I alternated Texas Tomato Cage and 8' stake in my beds this year. That's worked out great!