| My grandfather planted rows of tomato plants while I was growing up. He never staked the plants. I decided to not stake mine this year as I waited too long and the ground was too hard to pound my stakes in. Will this make a difference in yield or longevity of the plants? Deb Carlisle, PA |
| Staking won't make a difference to your plants, but the lack of staking might make harvesting more difficult. It really depends upon the types of tomatoes you are growing. There are determinate types which grow to a certain height and then flower and develop fruit, usually all at once. There are indeterminate types which tend to keep growing, flowering and producing fruit all summer long. Indeterminate type tomato plants can reach 6' tall with an equal width so they will sprawl all over one another if they aren't staked. But, they will still flower and fruit so the biggest challenge for you will be to find and harvest the ripe fruit hiding in among the foliage. Just think of it as a treasure hunt! Hope you have a bountiful harvest! |
