How to support cherry tomato tree. (Staking cherry tomatoes in ground:double stakes)

Growing cherry tomatoes in soil cultivation. In the previous article, I explained about pruning cherry tomato suckers and the preparing double stakes. Approximately 1 week have passed since then. In this article, I will explain how to stake for cherry tomatoes. For this season’s cherry tomato cultivation, we will be using a double stem support system, which is called double stakes supporting.

How to stake for cherry tomatoes (double stakes)

I performed cherry tomato sucker removal and prepared for the double stakes supporting around mid-May.

Staking cherry tomatoes (Support cherry tomato with double stakes)

Observing how the branches grow is important when setting up stakes for cherry tomatoes. For the double stakes method with cherry tomatoes, as you’ll be setting up 2 stakes, you should consider the placement of the stakes while observing the 2 main branches: the main stem and the sucker.

Main stem and sucker of cherry tomatoes

The position of the stakes should align with the main stem and sucker of the cherry tomato, but there’s no need to overcomplicate it. Is this area around here okay for placing the stakes? Roughly estimating the position is sufficient.

Align the double stakes with the main stem and side shoots

The way the branches of cherry tomatoes grow may change direction as they mature. At this stage, predicting the exact position of branches 1 to 2 months ahead is difficult, so a rough placement for the stakes is generally sufficient. If the distance between the cherry tomato branches and the stakes becomes too far, you can adjust it by using longer tying strings.

For the double stakes setup of cherry tomatoes, prepare 2 stakes with a diameter of 2cm (0.8 in) and a length of 210cm (7 ft) each. Cherry tomatoes, when growing well, can reach a height of about 180cm (6 ft), so sturdy and long stakes are necessary.

The diameter of the stakes for cherry tomatoes is 2cm (0.8 in)
The length of the stakes is 210cm (7 ft)

To set up the stakes, first, push the stakes into the ground by hand. It’s okay if the stake goes into the ground about 25cm (10 in) deep. If the soil is too compact and the stake doesn’t go in easily, just push it in as far as it will go for now.

Push the stakes into the ground by hand

Then, use a hammer to drive the stake in an additional 10cm (4 in). A point to note is not to drive the stake in too deeply. If you drive it in too deeply, it might become difficult to remove when cleaning up.

Hammer the stakes for the cherry tomatoes into the ground
Hammer
The double stakes for the double stem supporting are set up

How to secure the cherry tomato stems (Tie the stakes to the stems with twine)

Once the stakes for the cherry tomatoes are in place, the next step is to learn how to tie the branches. Here’s how to do it using twine. For the branches, keep the loops loose to avoid damaging them. With this, the process of setting up the cherry tomato stakes is complete.

How to tie the branches of cherry tomatoes
Tie the main stem and suckers of the cherry tomato to the stakes
Double stakes setup for cherry tomatoes is complete

Following is the video for how-to. English subtitles are available.

How to support cherry tomato tree. (Staking cherry tomatoes in ground:double stakes) – YouTube