Tomato Trellis Using 4 Cattle Panels

In the last two years, after having my tomato plants grow up to over 6 feet tall and be loaded with fruit and blooms, I have had them blown over by “spring storms.” Even though I had the plants in store-bought cages, with all the foliage and the height and the softened ground from all the rain, they were blown over. When this happens, I normally lose some of the fruit and lots of the blooms, so I decided to design a tomato trellis that will hold up to almost any bad weather conditions.

Below is a drawing showing how to build the trellis and the materials needed for the new trellis. I will use four (4) cattle panels, purchased from Tractor Supply, that are 50 inches high by 96 inches long. The panels will be secured in place on ten (10) six-foot steel tee-posts, five (5) posts per row, spaced 48 inches apart and driven into the ground at least 12 inches deep. The two rows will be separated 48 inches apart to allow walking room and for sunlight. The panels will be secured to each post 12 inches above the ground to allow for working the soil between the plants. As the plants grow in height, they will be tied to the panels about every 12 inches to make sure that they cannot be blown over.

The first plant on each row will be set 16 inches from the start (end) of the panel, and then the following plants will be set at every 32 inches. This spacing will allow plenty of room for growth, sunlight, and harvesting of the fruit, and allows for six (6) plants per row. The trellis will be 62 inches high above the ground, which will support plants even if they grow over 7 feet tall.