3 DIY Tomato Trellis Ideas, Perfect for ANY Budget
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Date: 2022-07-18
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Comments and reviews: 15
zmavrick
Cheaper way to do the conduit is get 3, 10 foot sticks of 3/4 inch conduit ($12 in my area. Notch the end of two of them with a hacksaw (no need to be pretty) and drill a hole a little lower and perpendicular to the notch. Drop a string stake where each plant will go (6 with 18 inch spacing, then push the conduit 2 feet into the ground between where the last two plants go on each end. Take the last un-notched conduit and lay it in the notches and secure it with a wire through the holes you drilled. Tie a string above where each plant will go, put your plants in the ground, tie string to stake, and push it in the ground next to the plant. As the plant grows just twist it around the string. I have been doing this for 15 years and works well and still using original conduit. Only issue is need to leave enough room between rows for a stepladder for when the plants get taller than you can reach.
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Cheaper way to do the conduit is get 3, 10 foot sticks of 3/4 inch conduit ($12 in my area. Notch the end of two of them with a hacksaw (no need to be pretty) and drill a hole a little lower and perpendicular to the notch. Drop a string stake where each plant will go (6 with 18 inch spacing, then push the conduit 2 feet into the ground between where the last two plants go on each end. Take the last un-notched conduit and lay it in the notches and secure it with a wire through the holes you drilled. Tie a string above where each plant will go, put your plants in the ground, tie string to stake, and push it in the ground next to the plant. As the plant grows just twist it around the string. I have been doing this for 15 years and works well and still using original conduit. Only issue is need to leave enough room between rows for a stepladder for when the plants get taller than you can reach.
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Celtic
It was interesting to see the 4 varieties he highlighted, and which ones would work in my climate. The last two would never survive the summer thunderstorms that we get, but the ones with the Florida weave would (that's what I use. The one with the hooks would for sure separate in the storms here, and the tall light one would also fall over unless it has very long tines. The only modification I would make to the Florida weave ones, is that mine would need to be a tri-pod, not just one stake, because our storms don't just come from one direction--sometimes they're from the west, sometimes northwest, and the worst ones are from the south or south-west. I've never had a tomato plant go down, which is actually pretty amazing. Who knew the least expensive options would work best? Just goes to show you. :)
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It was interesting to see the 4 varieties he highlighted, and which ones would work in my climate. The last two would never survive the summer thunderstorms that we get, but the ones with the Florida weave would (that's what I use. The one with the hooks would for sure separate in the storms here, and the tall light one would also fall over unless it has very long tines. The only modification I would make to the Florida weave ones, is that mine would need to be a tri-pod, not just one stake, because our storms don't just come from one direction--sometimes they're from the west, sometimes northwest, and the worst ones are from the south or south-west. I've never had a tomato plant go down, which is actually pretty amazing. Who knew the least expensive options would work best? Just goes to show you. :)
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Kimo
Last summer I grew 7 ft tall tomatoes using the string method with the conduit. Worked really well. I didn't use clips or stakes. Just tied twine to the conduit at the top and ran it down the the base of the tomato. From there all you need to do is wrap it around the stem from the base up and as it grows, you just keep wrapping the twine around the stem. It grips the tomato quite well so it supports the weight easily. Had an amazing crop for months. Huge tomato plants. Also used it on cucumbers and peas and tomatillos. The best part is, it makes it very easy to get in and prune or harvest or water your plants vs a tomatoes cage or even the Florida weave.
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Last summer I grew 7 ft tall tomatoes using the string method with the conduit. Worked really well. I didn't use clips or stakes. Just tied twine to the conduit at the top and ran it down the the base of the tomato. From there all you need to do is wrap it around the stem from the base up and as it grows, you just keep wrapping the twine around the stem. It grips the tomato quite well so it supports the weight easily. Had an amazing crop for months. Huge tomato plants. Also used it on cucumbers and peas and tomatillos. The best part is, it makes it very easy to get in and prune or harvest or water your plants vs a tomatoes cage or even the Florida weave.
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matt
Hey Kev, old video so not sure you check these. I immediately noticed your tomato starts in this vid were almost 2' tall (in what looks like 3in x 3in temp containers. I'm seed starting this year and plan to up-pot to this same size after seedling stage. Letting them get that tall before in-ground planting, did you experience in root problems? Those are monsters and much larger than any tom I've bought in my local nursery (in same size temp container) which I immediately planted - just trying to gauge how long I can use that size in your opinion! Thanks!
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Hey Kev, old video so not sure you check these. I immediately noticed your tomato starts in this vid were almost 2' tall (in what looks like 3in x 3in temp containers. I'm seed starting this year and plan to up-pot to this same size after seedling stage. Letting them get that tall before in-ground planting, did you experience in root problems? Those are monsters and much larger than any tom I've bought in my local nursery (in same size temp container) which I immediately planted - just trying to gauge how long I can use that size in your opinion! Thanks!
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Tamboliya
I'm worried the twine would be too abrasive and would scratch my plants as the slide up it when growing or when brushing against it when windy. This I fear would cause wounds/damage from the scratches. This in turn would make it more susceptible to diseases and pests. Cotton string would be softer but fear it'd become mildewy/moldy from retaining water and be too heavy from the water weight. What would be the safest string/twine/tape, etc. to use then? Help!
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I'm worried the twine would be too abrasive and would scratch my plants as the slide up it when growing or when brushing against it when windy. This I fear would cause wounds/damage from the scratches. This in turn would make it more susceptible to diseases and pests. Cotton string would be softer but fear it'd become mildewy/moldy from retaining water and be too heavy from the water weight. What would be the safest string/twine/tape, etc. to use then? Help!
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Chickadee
I use a variation of the conduit system. I got the conduit at the big box store along with electrical conduit corners. Then I use clothesline rope top to bottom with the landscape staples, but bury them at the bottom of the hole. I also put a horizontal line tying it to each vertical line and the 2 vertical posts. I do 2 horizontals and on the higher one I stick a lable with the name of the tomato variety in the knot.
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I use a variation of the conduit system. I got the conduit at the big box store along with electrical conduit corners. Then I use clothesline rope top to bottom with the landscape staples, but bury them at the bottom of the hole. I also put a horizontal line tying it to each vertical line and the 2 vertical posts. I do 2 horizontals and on the higher one I stick a lable with the name of the tomato variety in the knot.
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TheGuruStud
Make 36 diameter cages out of concrete mesh roll and forget it (6ft panels of anything are nice if you can get em. I leave up to 8 vines per plant and let them just grow. Obviously, T posts to anchor and no storm can blow them over (90 mph wind is cake.
My dad make them out of big cattle panels as a kid and they didn't even need anchoring with the first squares cut out as T spikes.
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Make 36 diameter cages out of concrete mesh roll and forget it (6ft panels of anything are nice if you can get em. I leave up to 8 vines per plant and let them just grow. Obviously, T posts to anchor and no storm can blow them over (90 mph wind is cake.
My dad make them out of big cattle panels as a kid and they didn't even need anchoring with the first squares cut out as T spikes.
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Tatiana
EpicGardening I live in western South Dakota. We get days with REALLY strong winds quite often (50 mph+ gusts. I have an outdoor raised garden along our privacy fence. Do you think the Florida Weave would help? I usually plant some variety of slicing tomato and a variety of cherry tomato, so plants that get fairly tall. Any advice would be appreciated.
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EpicGardening I live in western South Dakota. We get days with REALLY strong winds quite often (50 mph+ gusts. I have an outdoor raised garden along our privacy fence. Do you think the Florida Weave would help? I usually plant some variety of slicing tomato and a variety of cherry tomato, so plants that get fairly tall. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Marlo
Just bought my TPosts from Tractor Supply Company. They were 8' posts. I got home and realized that there was no way I could use a hammer to properly set the TPost. I had to go back and get a TPost Driver. I'm pretty excited about this year's crop. Using your video with 18 spacing, where I normally only put 3 tomato plants, I was able to put in 7.
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Just bought my TPosts from Tractor Supply Company. They were 8' posts. I got home and realized that there was no way I could use a hammer to properly set the TPost. I had to go back and get a TPost Driver. I'm pretty excited about this year's crop. Using your video with 18 spacing, where I normally only put 3 tomato plants, I was able to put in 7.
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Jackie
I have a yard of grass and I want to do like you with the mulch on the ground to keep grass from coming up. Would I til it first or just start laying it on the ground? I want to have my raised beds like yours set up. Right now I put plastic down to kill the grass and then put my soil in. All help is very helpful.
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I have a yard of grass and I want to do like you with the mulch on the ground to keep grass from coming up. Would I til it first or just start laying it on the ground? I want to have my raised beds like yours set up. Right now I put plastic down to kill the grass and then put my soil in. All help is very helpful.
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Jay
The conduit clips that he advertises here are very expensive. The better idea I have found is to flatten the ends of the conduit, and drill a hole through the flattened part so you can just bolt them together. Epic Gardening is getting too popular for his own good and wants everyone to buy $70. 00 conduit clips lol.
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The conduit clips that he advertises here are very expensive. The better idea I have found is to flatten the ends of the conduit, and drill a hole through the flattened part so you can just bolt them together. Epic Gardening is getting too popular for his own good and wants everyone to buy $70. 00 conduit clips lol.
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Nicole
Ive used and worked with t-posts most of my life, and Ive never, ever, seen someone get on a ladder and drive them in with a hammer I almost wet my pants watching that. A t-post driver is pretty inexpensive and hiiiiiighly recommend, especially if you want to set your t-posts more than a few inches.
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Ive used and worked with t-posts most of my life, and Ive never, ever, seen someone get on a ladder and drive them in with a hammer I almost wet my pants watching that. A t-post driver is pretty inexpensive and hiiiiiighly recommend, especially if you want to set your t-posts more than a few inches.
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James
Kevin, another great video. Are you Filipino or of part Filipino extraction? Would you be able to do a video on Upo
And ampalia in the future. I love upo, bitter melon and snow peas.
Kuya Kevin, your videos are awesome and very informative.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Be blessed.
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Kevin, another great video. Are you Filipino or of part Filipino extraction? Would you be able to do a video on Upo
And ampalia in the future. I love upo, bitter melon and snow peas.
Kuya Kevin, your videos are awesome and very informative.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Be blessed.
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Qs
Great instructions! This year Im going to try the first method for my raspberry stakes. Can you please do a video on squirrel prevention? They are all in my pots and I want to plant a vegetable garden this year in the ground but my neighbor has a walnut tree which acts like an open invitation.
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Great instructions! This year Im going to try the first method for my raspberry stakes. Can you please do a video on squirrel prevention? They are all in my pots and I want to plant a vegetable garden this year in the ground but my neighbor has a walnut tree which acts like an open invitation.
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Deb
Perfect timing, Kevin! On my to-do list in the next week or so. (Although we ARE having snow flurries today in SE Idaho. Still, I want my trellises up even if tomatoes not going out for awhile. Our last frost date in our county this year is May 19th. In theory. Thanks for the wonderful video!
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Perfect timing, Kevin! On my to-do list in the next week or so. (Although we ARE having snow flurries today in SE Idaho. Still, I want my trellises up even if tomatoes not going out for awhile. Our last frost date in our county this year is May 19th. In theory. Thanks for the wonderful video!
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