I trussed up the Sugar Snack plant that was getting long and needing staking. I watched a TV show all about growing tomatoes earlier this week, and the host built this fantastic trellis for staking his indeterminate tomatoes. He had a raised bed garden, and so he went to the bother of building a 2×4 form over the bed, but what he did to tie off his tomato plants was much better than using a stake. He put a screw in hook on the crossbar over the tomato plant and cut off a good length of hemp twine. One end of the twine was tied loosely to the base of the plant near the roots, and then he wound the remaining twine up the base stem of the plant, in between the strongest branches and tied it off on the hook overhead pulling it just snug enough to keep the plant from flopping around in the wind.

I didn’t want to build anything, and I didn’t have any proper twine, but a good quadrupled length of acrylic yarn knotted along its length and the hook on the edge of the porch that has never held up anything but a windchime served as my upper anchor. Works like a charm! Even though it’s quite windy today, that tomato plant is just gently moving, and it’s supported all along it’s height. It’s also back up on the porch where it won’t be getting 8 hours of sun a day, which I hope will help its pathetic condition as well.

All I will have to do now, when it gets taller, is take down the slip not at the top, wind the yarn around the new strongest branches, and tie it off again. Easy peasy!

When it’s not windy and the light is better on the porch, I’ll try to get a photo to show off my handiwork … and the only tomato plant that seems to love me. :)