How to Tie Tomato Plants
- 1). Place a tomato stake in the ground 1 to 2 inches from each plant. Push the stakes deep enough into the soil so that they cannot easily be knocked over and will support the plant as it grows. Stakes should be a minimum of 4 to 5 inches below the surface.
- 2). Gently lift the drooping plant from the soil. Do not pull it or you will disturb the roots or break the stem. Stake plants as soon as they are tall enough to droop against the ground. The plants are still delicate at this stage, so be careful.
- 3). Wrap one tie around the midsection of the tomato's main stem. The tie should fall directly beneath one of the smaller stems. Knot the tie loosely to the stake. Leave room--at least 1/2 inch--between the stake and the main stem, so that the stem is not pressed up against the stake.
- 4). Place another stretchy tie toward the bottom of the plant, 2 or 3 inches from the soil. Gently tie this to the stake.
- 5). Loop another tie towards the upper part of the main stem, about 3 to 4 inches down from the top of the plant. Knot this tie to the stake at an angle, with the knot against the stake higher than the loop. The loop should fall just beneath one of the shoots. Do not break the plant while doing this as the top is the narrowest, weakest part of the main stem.
- 6). Check ties daily. Loosen or tighten ties and/or add more as the plant grows.
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