What is the best method for staking or supporting tomato plants?

I have a very small veggie garden. I am growing San Marzano tomatoes as well as a variety of cherry tomato called Angora. Last year I used standard tomato cages -- the cone shaped ones but they just fell over.



I am growing my veggies in 2 large 3 foot by 3 foot by 18" deep planters.



Thanks for any advice.

What is the best method for staking or supporting tomato plants?
Here's a link I like to refer people too. It gives the pros/cons of different methods of staking.

http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/tom...



And as you will see how creative people can be, you will get a lot more in these answers.



I have mine in a 15 gallon container with a cage that I will zip tie to the fence when they get too tall and need support. I have 24 different plants this year. :)



Good luck and happy gardening. :)
Reply:The best way is to put in two upright poles say the width of your tomato patch.So for your patch you'll need 2 poles or posts going 3 feet one way,and two going 3 feet the other.Run some heavy wire across on top of posts,Hammer in with some staples.Then put up plastic wire netting or ordinary wire netting on the wire..you can put in some extra supports.You could also use wood trellis.I grow mainly cherries and can get 12 plants in about 6 feet,but I do use plastic buckets.But you'll get quite a lot this way.
Reply:Good Grief. I have 35 plants and I just hammer a wooden stake about 7 feet tall next to each one and tie them up with cloth strips about 3/4 inch wide. Then I water the hell out of them and add water made with chicken dumps. One year my tomato plants grew to be 8 feet tall, and that was after using 300 gallons of water a week for 24 plants.
Reply:put stakes very close to the plant. As it grows you may need to loosely tie the plant to the stake with strong string (the kind that you can use outdoors from a garden store)
Reply:Stakes

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