Don't bother growing tomatoes any other way! This trellis system is the BEST and CHEAP.

We've tried lots of tomato growing systems over the years (anyone else remember those topsy turvy tomato commercials???), but this is really the best! Shoutout to Josh Sattin over at Sattin Hill Farms (we love watching his channel!) for this method.

Set your T-posts at the end of your growing beds to establish rows, use PVC connectors on the top of the posts, and run your conduit between the posts. Now that you have a strong structure, string up your tomatoes to keep even the wildest indeterminate varieties under control. Training your plant up keeps good airflow, keeps pests down, allows you to access for easy pruning, and sets your plants up the success!

We have TONS of tomato options for you. Have fun trying out new varieties every year!

[TrumbleAudio]

The only video I found explaining suckers and pruning that made sense without 20 minutes of filler!

[danielclyde]

I came here to learn about a cool trellis, I left understanding suckers and proper pruning. And a cool trellis. Great video!

[libbyholt]

Issues: 1)When I tried a similar system in Albuquerque, the tomato vines grew so long that I had no place to train them to once they reached the conduit. Today, I'm thinking cattle panel arches or tunnels. That would give each vine 16 feet - up, over, and down the other side. 2) Thanks to the type of pruning you suggest, I had lots of plants & lots of heavy tomatoes! My conduit sagged in the middle under the load. However, I may have used only half inch whereas you suggest 3/4". I cudda tried that the following year, but I got crazy & used plumbing pipe. Super strong enough but way more expensive and still had the length issue. 3) I used what appear to be the same white clips you're using. NM sun so brutal, the plastic clips grew brittle and many of them broke, especially any that I tried to move or re-use. Many didn't last the season & none lasted more than one. 4) Same for the white string. Many simply snapped under the weight as my vines grew heavier and heavier with tomatoes. Brightly colored nylon(?) boat rope f/WalMart worked better. It's way thicker than I'd have liked, but I was able to poke 6-10" strips of old t-shirts in between the fibers of the rope. I used them to loosely tie the vines to the rope. Now I've moved 3 states over, I've gotta start from scratch. I'm thinking that with cattle panel arches, I'd still need the cloth strips, but not the string or rope, yes? I'm also thinking, whoa, buddy, cattle panels are expensive!!! Plus, a real challenge to transport. So, I dunno. Maybe your system, but with two rows, 10' apart, and connected (like clotheslines) across their tops by boat rope?!?! AIEEE!! Makes me wanna give up gardening. Lol. I guess the obvious solution is cut the vines and don't allow them to grow past the conduit. But then, why grow indeterminants? Sorry. Too long. Bye now.

[kelliott]

Really good of you to give credit for where you got this idea. Josh wasn't the first, but at least you're giving credit to your source.

[je-fqve]

It helps when doing this outside to run a string horizontally to stop the wind from blowing them around.

[Vaseemm]

For a video on the trellis system, you mostly talked about suckers and not how you have those strings tied at the bottom and how you get the plants around the strings I.E how the trellis system needs to be set up with the plants and used.

[Ravenzpeak]

Yeah, that's how I do it too. I have goat fencing around the veg garden and used a piece of that over the top to tie my strings to. I tried plastic clips to hold the vines but am going back to cloth because with the heavy winds we had, the stems broke off with clips. They didn't break with cloth. TFS

[robertmotea]

Perfect explanation of why the suckers need to be removed. 👍 I use a similar system, and just tweak it a little every season. Works well..

[CitizenKate]

This has become my favorite tomato trellising system too, after trying three other methods of trellising indeterminate tomatoes. You mention this works great with your row gardening layout, but I also use this method with my raised beds. I've also used this method for my pole beans. For one thing, once you get it set up, it's the lowest maintenance trellising system I've used. And it's *very* strong. The vertical stakes get strapped onto the sides of the bed and anchored into the adjacent ground with rebar, and in the time I've used it, it has stood up to some very high winds and kept the plants firmly in place. They'll stand up to just about anything short of a tornado.

[dragoncarver]

Been doing that for several years now. 1 inch PVC in the greenhouse, homemade thing outside. Works awesome. 2 main differences: 1 I wind the plant around the string. It supports the plant without rubbing AND 2. figured this out finally this year. I usually drive the string into the ground but sometimes it pulls out easily. I ran a line between stakes at ground level and tied the vertical line to it. Only had to anchor it in a few spots. Doesn't pull out if it catches on my clothes or something.
Interesting that you can run 2 leaders. Gonna try that with a few. I have done that with grafted plants which grow fantastic but are expensive. Great if you don't have a lot of room. Glad I watched this.

[priayief]

Using those PVC T's is a great idea for making these trellises. I've always bent the EMT so that I have a horizontal piece and two legs, to which I attach straight pieces of EMT so that I have the appropriate height. The legs are inserted into 3/4 inch PVC attached to the sides of my 4 foot-square wooden beds.

Bending the EMT has always been problematic - it can be challenge to bend it so that it is close to the correct width. However, once it's done, these types of trellises last forever.

Your method is much simpler and it looks like it would work just as well for me. In addition, removing and storing these trellises looks easier and more efficient.

Thanks for posting.

[skyking]

Exactly. Old school home gardener here; I'v been growing toms 60 years and this is an idea I haven't tried yet. Something so simple yet ingenious at the same time; I almost feel stupid. Thanx for sharing.

[hoobeydoobey]

Just did this yesterday. Found your video today. I like how you used the string clamps on the base of the plant. I tied the strong to landscape nails/spikes.

[topkinginer]

First time gardener and i trellised my San Diego seed co. Large cherry tomatoes the same way and there 5ft tall already with 4-5 fruit sets growing on each already. 👍 works great for sure. Thanks for the quality seeds.

[srf]

Simple, cheap and effective. Great system. Thank you for sharing this.

[jengasaway]

Omg, thank you! This is the simplest, shortest video explaining the technique and essential tips. I've watched many videos trying to learn and I have a short attention span. Lol. Gosh, thank you!

[room]

I’d plant marigolds between the tomatoes to keep the hornworms away. I always plant marigolds with my tomatoes and never get hornworms. (zone 10)

[je-fqve]

you can stick the suckers in the ground and they will root. It helps to clip off most of the top growth before sticking it in the ground. If you have the space you can easily plant a second bed with them. They are already mature plants, even if they are suckers so they produce quickly.

[lanoredixon]

This is the best system for tomato supports I've seen yet. This will work for containers as well if you set the T post inside a piece of PVC that's been cemented inside a 5-gallon bucket . That way you can move your T post easily when you move your containers of tomatoes.

[cheifasmith]

Awesome system.. l learnt this system 20 years ago from a farmer in Ireland.. we did the same for the cucumbers..Thanks for sharing