Support Your Tomato Plants Using Florida Weave

Tomato plants are often supported by using tomato cages or by simply tying them to a central stake, but these are not the only methods you can use to keep your plants off the ground. Using just a few posts and some strong twine, you can easily keep the tomato plants supported and off the ground.

The basic setup of Florida weave is to have a row of tomato plants with strong posts every two to six plants. Personally, I put posts every two plants as I have a small garden. I find it much easier to have shorter runs for the necessary weaving. Twine is run between the posts to keep the plants upright. As the tomato plants grow, additional rows of weave are added as support.

The tomato plants do not need conventional tying as they are actually woven (as the name implies) into the twine. Start with one end. Tie your twine to your post. Run it along one side of your tomato plant, pulling all of the side suckers flush to the main plant. As you get to the next plant in the row, cross your twine to the opposite side of this plant. Continue crossing this way until you come to the end of the row. Pull your twine tightly and now go back along the same row, reversing your direction. Pull the twine along the side of each plant across from where you originally had the twine. This creates a weave pattern that holds each plant upright between the two rows of twine. Tie off your twine tightly once you come to the end post. That is it. You have Florida Woven your tomato plants.

Pepper plants can also be successfully supported using Florida Weave.


First row of weave applied.




Second row added.



Closer view.


Here we see two rows of weave shown on the back row of tomato plants while the front row is ready for a second row to be added.





As the plants get taller, more rows of twine are added to support them.

Pruning of suckers is normally not done in the Florida Weave method. Some trimming of branches that refuse to be contained in the twine cross sections might be necessary, but the majority of foliage is simply scooped up in the twine weaving.

The name is "Florida Weave" because commercial tomato growers in Florida use this method, but it is useful in any tomato grower's garden.