This tomato cave is designed to provide maximum sunlight and support for most of the 50 tomato plants in my main suburban garden.
Last year I made myself a little tomato cave using 6 ft bamboo stakes using the Florida weave method. This year I wanted to go taller, yet still needed to reach the top of any supports. Lower and lean was another option, but I really enjoy having a tomato cave. The Florida weave worked, but honestly? It was ugly. My fault, but the looks of things last year helped me decide to try something new this year.
If you know anything about me, my curious nature sends me striving to experiment and seek, always.
Considerations for Building This Type of Tomato Support
- Time. For me, finding 8ft bamboo stakes I could afford took ten times longer than building the two caves. The build itself took fifteen minutes for both supports using 21 stakes total. Ten stakes for one and eleven for the other. The task I felt would take the longest, making holes for the stakes, turned out to be a non-issue. The dirt in my slightly raised bed was soft enough to slide the stakes into the ground to the required 8″ inches with little effort. I demonstrate that in the youtube video linked below. If you need to create holes for the stakes, you’ll want to increase the timecost.
- Cost. The 8 ft bamboo stakes I found were around $80 for twenty-five stakes. That was a huge bargain. If you prefer plastic or steel stakes, the cost will be higher. The shorter the stakes, the less you will pay. Shipping anything over 6 ft becomes a lot more expensive. If you are happy with a 6′ tomato support, that route will save you money. I have an auger that attaches to my drill, in case I needed to create holes for the stakes. If you need an auger, add another $25-$50 to the cost. I had some extra clothesline rope around, so I did not need to buy more. You will need to tie the tomato vines to the stakes as they grow; I already have tomato ties so that was not an additional cost for me.
- Equipment. Stakes and a foot or two of rope to secure the top of the support. If you can push a 6′ stake into the dirt without an auger, you will likely be able to do the same with an 8′ stake. The number of stakes will depend on the size and height of the support structure you are trying to build, as well as how many tomatoes you intend to support. Allow for one stake for every two tomato plants for high intensity gardening (my method) and one stake per plant for normal tomato spacing. Step One of the build will tell you how many stakes you need.
Build Me
- Plot where your tomato plants will be planted. If you use high intensity spacing (less than 17″ between plants), you only need one stake per two plants. If you plant your tomatoes 18″ or more apart, use one stake per plant.
Walk the space. You will want to leave an open space for an opening for harvesting the tomatoes that hang inside, and to chillax. This tomato support method works best if you are planting your tomatoes in a half or 3/4 circle, but honestly, you can put the stakes wherever the heck you want. Stakes will go between two tomato plants or a few inches away from a single tomato plant. Mark where the stakes will go. Count them. Now you know how many stakes to buy. I promised this was easy and it is. A support area of 5.5′ will need 8′ bamboos stakes to meet in the middle. The wider the diameter of your planting space, the taller your stakes will need to be. Plot before purchase. - Buy the stakes. Bamboo stakes are a great deal and the longer sizes will generally be gone by February. Shop around, read reviews, buy early. Get em, store em and wait for the ground to thaw.
- Ground is thawed, it’s springtime! A few weeks before planting your tomatoes, grab a stake and see if it goes relatively easy into the ground at least 6-8″ (8″ if windy climate). If so, great! No need for an auger. If it’s a difficulty, you may wish to purchase a hand auger or one that attaches to a drill bit. The 8 ft bamboo stake thick ends are around an inch wide, so an inch wide auger will generally be the best option. But check the stake base diameter, before buying the auger. Your Stakes May Vary.
- It is far easier to plant the tomatoes first and then place the stakes within a few days of planting the tomatoes. This timing allows you full room to plant tomatoes without bonking your head and dodging stakes as you plant, as the stakes will be at a slant. Set the stakes while the plants are still small, so you can make sure the stakes are deep enough, that your placement is correct and that the stakes will be truly supportive before ever securing the plants to the stakes. Allowing few days to see what the wind does and if you are happy with the placement, before securing the plants to the stakes will give you peace of mind.
- Push the stakes into the ground about 6-8″ deep, depending on your soil. I have loamy clay, which is a great soil for holding stakes, even on the windy prairie. The slant angle will depend on how wide your support will be. Find the center point, stand there as you place the stakes, ensuring the up end is over your head. Sounds precise, yet it really isn’t. It’ll look haphazard (as pictured), yet if all the stakes on every side meet in the middle and can be secured together, you haven’t gone too wide. The taller the stake, the wider your support can be. If you decide your planting half-circle is more than 6′ in diameter, you will need stakes taller than 8′.
- Take a foot or two of rope and tightly secure the area where the stakes meet, ideally about 4-6″ from the tops of the stakes. There will still be some give and movement, which is good. Be prepared to weave rope/twine/string along the support horizontally to provide extra support once the plants reach 2-3′ tall.
- Step back and admire your new tomato support.
Questions
Why Bamboo? It’s very strong, has a bit of give so it won’t snap and will not rust. It’s also lightweight and therefore often less expensive than heavier options.
Can I use smaller stakes? Yes, the diameter of the support/tomato garden will be smaller as well. Go too small, and it will become more difficult to harvest tomatoes from the inside. If the plant is lush, most tomatoes will ripen on the outside of the support, however, as is preferred.
Will I need a center support? Generally no. Tomato plants can get heavy, but they are heavier near the bottom half of the plant. The rope that secures the top of the support provides additional help with the weight of plants.
How long did yours take to build? Fifteen minutes for both. I have a slightly raised bed with loamy clay soil, so the stakes went right into the ground, 8″ deep. I already had rope set aside and my tomato plants already in the ground. I was surprised how quickly it all came together but there genuinely is something intuitive about this build.
Is this a new design? Nope. I have seen products you can buy in this shape, but had never seen a build in person, nor with bamboo, so decided to provide this tutorial.
What about support between the stakes? I plan to wind rope every foot or so between the stakes to provide horizonal support. Another option is to plant smaller stakes at a slant opposite the vertical stakes. I may demonstrate that later in the season.
~
I hope you found my content helpful, informative or entertaining. I am the primary writer and photographer for this article and website. Please consider supporting me directly, as I strongly dislike ads and wish to keep them off my site.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CElisabeth
Your support means a great deal to me. I appreciate you!
~
[fts_instagram instagram_id=17841449763675793 access_token=IGQVJVOWphWmw3anVSdFRjamN1MEpWdG9NTHllczJiTHZA6VDZArTGp0a09VcE5SekVEcW54dFl2endXbmtiM2V4VnZAqdzUyaHVPakZAOWUpEcGN0VkhHaFBnZAzM0b2wtTEVtOWNkOXFB pics_count=6 type=basic super_gallery=yes columns=3 force_columns=no space_between_photos=1px icon_size=65px hide_date_likes_comments=yes]
~The End~