Pros & Cons of 3 Tomato Trellis Systems and Which Popular Method I DON'T Recommend

Tomatoes are the most commonly grown crop for gardeners, and we're always looking for new methods & techniques to get the most bang for your buck. Tomatoes can be grown in so many different ways, so we're going to explore some different options.

0:25 Tomahook System
2:55 Cattle Panels Arches
5:31 Tomato Cages

Let's kick things off with one of my go-to methods: the Tomahook System. It's changed the way I grow tomatoes, and we've done several videos about it over the years.

It's a method that many commercial growers use because it really allows you to maximize space, and it makes harvesting & pruning very easy.

This is all about going up instead of out. That means it's easy to see the fruits as they ripen instead of hunting in a bush. As the plant grows, you unwind your Tomahook so you really have unlimited vertical space within the height of your t post or vertical supports.

PROS
-Orderly & neat
-Maximizes production
-Minimizes disease

CONS
-More setup work
-Small upfront investment
-Works with indeterminate (also called pole or vining) tomatoes only

Moving to another part of the garden, let's take a look at an arched cattle panel held in place by two t posts. This is a wonderful way to create a green tunnel in your yard, and it provides an infrastructure for a variety of plants including tomatoes.

As the plant grows, you can also use plant clips in this system to ensure it grows along with the supports. If they're still small and flexible, you can also wind the plant in and out.

PROS
-Ambience
-Less pruning required
-Fairly easy to prune & harvest

CONS
-Some work involved
-Larger upfront cost
-Still best for indeterminate varieties

Up next, we have Tomato Cages. This is the option I really don't recommend. It really only suits dwarf varieties. Other types will quickly outgrow the cage and get squished together which leads to issues. I don't really recommend this system if you are growing tomatoes. Even these determinate varieties are getting out of hand.

PROS
-Good for dwarf varieties but that's about it

CONS
-Too small for most tomatoes
-They're usually too small & too flimsy
-Too tight which invites disease & pests
-Hard to find tomatoes to harvest
-Harder to prune

However you grow tomatoes, they need some kind of system or trellis. Whatever system you choose to use (and we encourage trying out different methods to experiment and find out what works best for your plants and space) remember to prune, plant at the right time, and monitor over time.

KEEP LEARNING

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[MissHaneul]

I'm on a balcony so I tend to do a home made bamboo stake trellis for the small space.

This year I'm growing Ruby's German Green, Big Rainbow, Banana Legs, Atomic Grape, Yellow Pear and Early Girl! I'm a tomato addict. 🍅

[kellypetersen]

Good video! Beautiful garden! Those indeterminate varieties can grow to be monsters. I had a yellow pear tomato plant that covered a chicken coop and had multiple vines that measured 13 feet. This year I have 9 foot poles attached to tpost with 4x4 inch netting stretched between the poles. The plants have been pruned to 1 or 2 vines and weaved in and out they have reached the top and are impressive.

[scottaloha]

I had used the hanging string with clips last year but I let it get out of control! This year, I'm using the same system but will do the lower and lean method. I have the tomahooks on order to do it more efficiently. Thank you for your great advice. I tried the Florida weave but it got too complicated and was hard to support the plants. I must have done it wrong. Bottom line is single or double stem (old habits die hard) with the tomahooks. Very excited! Your videos have reinvigorated my desire to garden (I got burnt out fighting disease and pests last year) Thank you!

[Realdavidart]

Growing Juliet, BTieDye, Green TieDye, black strawberry, Paul Robeson, moyamensing, Krim. All on an Italian OG A-frame trellis. #quarteracrenomule

[Elidee]

I'm growing Berkeley Tie Dye, Pineapple Rose & Black Trifele. I have single leaders trellised on twine I'm hanging from my eaves. This is my first time growing tomatoes, I gotta try the castle panel next year!

[mr.greengrows]

Love the vertical grow method thanks for the tips!

[roxannemcclintock]

I am growing mostly indeterminate types by tying to 8' stakes. I am growing Sweet 100's, Sweet Million, Gobstopper, Pineapple, Jubilee, and Early Girl

[stanceonlife]

I growing, brandy wine, isis cherry, and plum! So excited 🎉

[archie-rv]

I am little intimidated with tomahook as it needs only one leader that can be trained otherwise a cool concept. I use Florida weave and love it….what are the flower tree in the background (red and pink) when you were talking about the tomatoes in traditional cages….I love those colors and would love to know the name

[TheBestPaJam]

I’ve always only used tomato cages for my tomatoes. I Used to grow the Inca Jewel Roma and I agree lots of pruning to keep the plants manageable. This year in my excitement to buy seeds I didn’t check… I got all vining varieties!!! Kind of upset about it.. I find these tall trellising systems to be a bit much… but I have no choice.. it’s almost time to put things in ground But can’t decide on what trellis method to use… dont have the space for the cattle panel and don’t think the drop and lean is for me. Anything else I can do.? HELP 😌!

[poppyelrod]

I’ve got Roma tomatoes tied up to a 4’ fence post. But I’ve also got Orange Peach (indeterminate) and I’m trying the low/lean system. Although I don’t know that I’m doing it quite right. I don’t think I pruned as heavy as I should have in the beginning and they are kinda wild. It appears I’m still going to get a ton of tomatoes though! And, I’ll do better next year. It’s all about learning, right?

[muriellockhoff]

I love you tomatoes grownup on cattle panel what did you put on ground to keep weeds away

[domesti-city]

I put an arbor in my raised beds, and ran string from the base of the tomato and tied it loosely to the arbor, then I just keep wrapping the string around the tomato as it grows. Once it reaches the arbor I will train it to go across the top, but it may have competition from the Armenian cucumbers coming up on the far end. In containers I flip a large tomato cage upside down and jam another one right side up through the top of it to make an hourglass shaped cage. I stake that into my container and train the tomato up it like you would the cattle panel. I'm always tempted to put a topiary ball at the top to turn the hourglass into a woman topiary, or give her willow branch wings to make her angelic! 🙂 I have Kellogg's Breakfast, Lucid Gem, Yellow Pear, Black Krim, and a Tasmanian Chocolate patio tomato in my Greenstalk. We have a volunteer Mortgage Lifter that thinks it's related to Jack's beanstalk climbing out the top of an hourglass cage.

[marypuncer]

I’m growing brandy wine, but on a very tall stake. Don’t know what I’ll do when it gets taller. My cherry tomatoes have a trellis. My Determinate tomatoes are in square cages which like you said are falling over. I have a question and wonder if you could help me. My tomatoes were big and beautiful but as the plants grew the tomatoes are much smaller now. Do you think it is a deficiency of something?

[muriellockhoff]

I like your cattle penal what did you put on ground to keep weeds out

[wardsdotnet]

I'm using the hooks and string but instead of the clamps I'm just wrapping the string around the stem

[oceanbreezesuburbanfarm]

How do people transfer that cattle panel? Does it fit in the back of a pick up? Or trailer needed? 8 foot t posts are NOT in stock in SD area.

[Gardening-shhf]

Hi, I'm hoping you'll see this comment, a year later! I really want to implement the lower and lean system, and am debating the materials to use for the trellis. I have seen them constructed with wood, with cross bars that the tomahooks hang from. If you are using a metal bar of whatever sort similar to what you have in the video, and the hooks are suspended on rings or loops, does the wind blow the rings/loops out of place? Does that happen and if so, is it a problem? Thank you so much for sharing your advice and experience!

[maryzwierecki]

I’m growing Ace 55, a determinant because I heard they are a lower acid tomato. Only growing 4 of them. I put t posts on each side and will tie and intertwine them. I forget what they call it. Florida weave?

[ohammed]

do u worry about cross pollination? since u save seeds?
how do u prevent it from happening?