How to Make the Best DIY Tomato Trellis (Stake and Weave Hybrid System)

Come learn how to make the best DIY tomato trellis and training system. It’s sturdy, tidy, effective, and looks great in your garden! I say “best” in jest… but I really love this system, and hope you do too!
In this video, I’ll show you how to make a simple tomato trellis with stakes, twine or string, and a support frame. We’ll also go over how to prune and train tomatoes up the trellis during the growing season - using a hybrid of the Florida weave and single leader tomato training methods.
Moderate pruning keeps the tomato plants manageable, easy to harvest, less prone to disease and pests, and compact enough to fit companion plants around them. This tomato trellis works best for indeterminate or vining varieties of tomatoes.
Wishing you a fantastic tomato season and harvest ahead!
SUPPLIES, LINKS & RESOURCES
Sturdy 8 foot garden stakes: homedepot.sjv.io/oqq2GY
Soft coated garden wire (reusable): www.amazon.com/dp/B0055F53DO/...
Mid-weight jute garden twine: amzn.to/41kQOcT
Redwood 2x2” boards: homedepot.sjv.io/3ee2EX
Pre-made, adjustable tomato trellis frame (just add vertical stakes and/or twine!): www.seattleurbanfarmco.com/sh...
Optional fence T-posts for additional support: homedepot.sjv.io/Wqqj9n
How to Make the Best DIY Tomato Trellis (written version with photos): homesteadandchill.com/best-di...
How to Grow Organic Tomatoes (seed to table grow guide, including pests and plant care): homesteadandchill.com/how-to-...
6 Ways to Support Tomatoes (covers cages, trellises, Florida Weave, lower & lean system, and more): homesteadandchill.com/train-s...
Simple & Delicious Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe (freezer friendly): homesteadandchill.com/simple-...
How to Freeze Tomatoes (plus tips to defrost and use): homesteadandchill.com/freeze-...
Please see our our website for even more garden and modern homesteading tutorials, recipes and more: homesteadandchill.com/
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[@tannenbaumgirl3100]

Can you advise the names ov tomatoes on those trelisses?

[@HomesteadandChill]

Hey, sure thing! The bigger Roma types are Granadero, the large cherry tomatoes are Sakura (SO good!) - plus sweetie cherries but aren't growing those again this year. Also Scotland Yellow, Pink Boar and Green Zebra - all repeat faves too. We get all our seeds from High Mowing, here is their tomato section: shrsl.com/416qp

[@henningerflats]

@@HomesteadandChill What is "saladette"?

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@henningerflats A saladette is a type of tomato that is larger and "meatier" than a typical cherry tomato, but it looks like I misspoke and Sakura are just a large cherry

[@henningerflats]

​@@HomesteadandChill Okay, thanks. I will check it out. This year I´m going full potatoes! Some beans and cucumbers. Might as well try watermellons again. It´s tricky here in Southern Germany at 560m without a greenhouse. I just went through the garden and pulled and ate some carrots which survived the winter frosts. Delicious! Hope your orchard is coming along nicely! It´s very beautiful where you live.

[@tannenbaumgirl3100]

​@@henningerflats Granadero and Sakura are also available from Johnny's Seeds here in the US, in case High Miwing is sold out.... both tomatoes have huge harvests and very disease resistant. The are often grown in commercial applications. Seeds are a bit more expense because they are commercial types, not readily available in stores, but worth the money. Just another side note about your melon comment....depending on the melon you grow, you may also need a second melon as a pollinator. You won't need it for a Canteloupe type, but if it's red inside and especially seedless, you may need the additional pollinator.

[@Cyllynify]

Wow, just wow. This is such a wonderful idea and tutorial!! I stumbled upon this channel a few months ago and have watched how you made your beds and setup your watering system. I'm so jealous of all your property and all that you've done with it. It's absolutely stunning and a dream of mine! Thanks for all you do!!!!❤

[@HomesteadandChill]

Aw, thank you so much! We appreciate you tuning in. Have a wonderful spring ahead!

[@kimwalter1269]

I get so excited whever you guys put up a new video! You always explain everything so clearly! I love watching your videos please do lots more!!! We live remote in Australia and dont watch normal TV so KZbin is it for us. You are one of my fave KZbin channels! This video was excellent!! I feel so confident to be able to make this myself now after watching you!

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thank you so much for the kind words and we appreciate your support! Sorry we aren't able to post as many videos here as our website keeps us plenty busy as well. You can follow us on Instagram as well to see more day to day type content. Thanks again!

[@homebodyjen752]

About a month ago, I was watching your garden reveal where you showed this system, and then went to find the article of you making it. I was considering doing the lean and lower yesterday but I kept coming back to how beautiful your hybrid design is. I read your article and I’m so glad you posted a video! We will definitely be trying this. As a newbie, this feels like the best use of my time.

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thank you so much for watching and we are glad you are giving the system a shot, you should grow some great tomatoes this summer, have fun growing!

[@doublets9055]

Thank you for sharing. I have been looking for one trellis will work for my tomatoes.

[@HomesteadandChill]

Right on, I hope you like it!

[@BACACHICKY]

The very best how-to gardening video! Can't wait to peruse their channel and learn more!

[@fridaysheritage844]

This is wonderful. Eager to put one up since my tomato harvest was wild last year and my set up was a disaster. Thanks!

[@HomesteadandChill]

Good luck and let us know how your growing season turns out! Tomatoes can get quite unruly as the growing season unfolds.

[@ritabrightwell656]

I love this idea of it not being permanent ❤

[@karenskillender6684]

Did this today, little differently, but love it. Looks like it will prove to be so much better than traditional cages and staking! Thank you for the tutorial and inspiration!

[@HomesteadandChill]

So glad it worked out so well for you, hope you have a great season ahead growing tomatoes!

[@ROCKIN40]

Your garden is beautiful. Nice, tidy and versatile.

[@rcrimi]

Brilliant idea. I re-planned my garden and can use existing components and fit 2 more tomato plants in my space. I love how forgiving this method is. I've tried the single-stem approach many times and always end up with side shoots, now I don't have to worry about them so much. The detailed description for pruning on the website is very helpful, I printed that section out. In the video, I like how close the plants are shown to the stake, I may not have done it quite that way otherwise but I'll aim for it now. Thanks

[@HomesteadandChill]

We are so glad you are excited about trying out the training system and are able to even use materials you have on hand to do it. Good luck and have fun growing!

[@mrs.elizabethbell-avery3334]

Good idea this is going to work can also use for beans and other vine or growing plant❤

[@HomesteadandChill]

Absolutely!

[@dver89]

These videos and gardens are so high quality! Thank you!

[@HomesteadandChill]

No, thank YOU!

[@shannonolsen1012]

Thank you for such wonderful and incredibly helpful content! I recently found your channel and have already learned so much. As a newbie gardener, you have no idea how helpful your content is to me and so many! What a wonderful gift you are giving to the world ❤

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thank you so much and congratulations on getting into gardening, it is such a healthy and rewarding activity that definitely turns into a lifestyle. Thanks for watching and have fun gardening!

[@potagermalo]

Magnifique bravo 😊 A bientôt

[@crazzie7]

Incredibly helpful as always! 🙏 fabulous video!

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thank you so much for watching, let us know if you try out a similar type of trellis system for your tomatoes this season.

[@bikerbabe4442]

I like this. I was looking at your artichokes 😂

[@HomesteadandChill]

They're poppin' right now! 😅👍🏼

[@biggameslayer3826]

Awesome can’t wait to try this thank you for sharing

[@HomesteadandChill]

Sweet, let us know how it goes! Thanks for tuning in

[@terryharris1856]

Great video New to your channel. Can't wait for some days off start prepping up the garden beds

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thanks for watching and glad you found us!

[@christinecrowley7132]

Looks like the best of both ways.

[@juliarroberts1621]

I like this and will try it this year.

[@henningerflats]

Nice Overture. One wishes to have you, your family to be neighbours.

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thank you so much, that is very nice of you to say!

[@abriesteyn6055]

Well bloody done..

[@kriskaul8009]

This is awesome - I'm going to try it this year. I only have 8' bamboo poles, so we'll see how that works for building it. Have you considered putting a crossbar across the sides maybe halfway up (so doesn't interfere with plants grown in front or behind the tomatoes)? I might try that to see if it makes it less able to swing laterally. Great system!

[@donnamartz6361]

This is exactly what I have been looking for. We have access to lumber and my husband is a carpenter. But I never knew what to show him to build. It is a simple design. What keeps the twine from getting pulled down the stake from the weight of the plants?

[@HomesteadandChill]

Awesome, I'm sure he'll be able to put together a fantastic frame them! The twine is wrapped several times around the stake (and held very tight while doing so) and tied on the far end stakes - though I suppose you could tie it at every stake if you wanted to. Also the stakes we use (linked in caption) are "ribbed" with little bumps all over for grip, so that helps a lot too! It's very secure, I have tried to move a row up or down to adjust the spacing and it takes a good deal of prying and effort

[@St3ph3ndavid]

Dig the idea thank you

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thanks for watching!

[@toesinsand1903]

This is a good looking setup and well thought out. Do you break down (i.e., unscrew, etc.) the main structure at the end of the season or leave it as is in the garden?

[@HomesteadandChill]

We don't have to unscrew the wooden trellis itself as we have an outbuilding that can house the trellis without breaking it down into smaller pieces but we typically take it out of the garden during the winter and spring months until we plant out our tomatoes again.

[@Carola-By-The-Bay]

Hi! 🌻 Just watched your November ‘22 Fall garden tour video. Was hoping to see a follow up video of some of the harvest… especially that giant cabbage! I’ve watched for a couple of years and I think this is your third homestead? And, I get the impression you’re now living near us, on the central coast. (We’re on the far south end of Morro Bay (the actual bay, not the town.) I’ve felt garden frustration since moving here… The summer fog makes it impossible to grow full-sized tomatoes. Otherwise, I love our cool climate. 🥰 Thank you for all the garden knowledge! 🌻🐝 Carola on Morro Bay 🐳💦

[@HomesteadandChill]

Hi, we do live in rural south San Luis Obispo county and this is actually our second house. We did have some nice cabbages, a lot of bok choy, chard, cauliflower, broccoli and some other veggies but it was a much colder winter (and the cooler temps came earlier) than we had anticipated being that this was the first fall/winter garden we have had in our new location. We think we need to start our winter crops a few weeks earlier than we did last year (and what we normally did when we were closer to the ocean) so they can get larger before the cold sets in, when we were in Grover Beach, our climate was much more temperate. As far as summer gardening in cooler/foggy climates, it can be a tad frustrating for heat loving crops, however we have found success in searching out powdery mildew resistant squash and tomatoes, also try and grow more mid size to small tomato varieties as it doesn't get hot enough to grow those huge 1-2 pound Brandywine type tomatoes. Also, using this trellis system or something similar which involves pruning your indeterminate tomatoes, should help improve your tomato quality and yield, it jus takes a little time to get it all down. You should be able to grow an amazing fall and winter garden where you are located though, just be sure to get the crops in by late September or early October so they can size up before the sunlight starts to decrease and the cooler temperatures set in. Hope that helps some and have fun growing!

[@rose.x.5081]

Goals!! 😍

[@mynameismud4568]

Homestead is looking awesome... was just wondering if you have plans to do some video on the "Chill" side of the homestead?

[@HomesteadandChill]

Lol, well... our favorite ways to chill are to bird watch, play Wingspan or cards, sit in the garden and read, and do yoga, so.... I'm not sure those would be the most interesting videos! :)

[@mynameismud4568]

@@HomesteadandChill I meant something on the cannabis grow 😁 .... its how i found your channel through those awsome photos of your partner "CHILL"ing in the yard of your old place with those monster plants. 🖖 he got me into vaping too. Say hi.

[@johnkuveke9749]

Great video!! Never seen a hybrid lik😂 this.what state are you growing in? i’m in Las Vegas desert. can this frame be made in a smaller scale and put into or outside and galvanized raised bed i bought on amazon? also we get so mut sun here i have to build a rectangular frame with sun cloth to block out some of the sun. All types of vegetables here cannot tolerate out direct sun in 90degree heat which will be here in may. Any ideas you want to share?

[@rubythurston2290]

I thought that by using the trellis method you could plant more tomatoes. Is that correct. Please let me know I really like your video and your instructions on how to make it

[@HomesteadandChill]

Yes, that's correct. With a trellis you can space tomatoes 18-24 inches apart, whereas with cages you'd need to space them by several feet. So we're able to fit four in this 4x8 bed with plenty of room in the bed still for other smaller plants. You could also prune the tomatoes even heavier (remove all side shoots/suckers) and train them to a single leader up a stake or twine, and space them as close as 12" in that case - though then the fruit are more susceptible to sunscalding.

[@robertavillella6485]

Thank you for the amazing idea! Yoir garden space is beautiful! 😍 What is the width of your garden bed, where you placed the 'A' frame?

[@HomesteadandChill]

Thank you so much for the kind words! The raised beds are 4 feet wide.

[@robertavillella6485]

Wow, thank you! I wasn't sure you would respond since your video is already a year old. I so appreciate it! ❤ New sub here ;)

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@robertavillella6485 No problem at all! We try and keep up with the comments no matter how old a video is. Thanks for subscribing to our channel, we aren't quite as active on KZbin as most of our efforts go to our website but we try and post videos here as often as we can.

[@ScottMSmith-cw2nt]

Baker's creek heirloom tomato seeds 5 different varieties of tomatoes And I got Persian purple basil and merrigolds cracker jack mix

[@HomesteadandChill]

Nice!

[@wademattinson]

Great tutorial. As the plants grown taller, what do you recommend for watering? Can I just keep watering at the base?

[@HomesteadandChill]

Yes, you continue watering at the base of the plants. We also have various drip irrigation tutorial videos if you are looking for ways to automate your watering as well. Hope that helps and have fun growing!

[@RMcDaniel1985]

Since the suckers are fuzzy can you use them to make new plants?

[@HomesteadandChill]

Absolutely, pull the suckers and place the cut end in water until you see roots form, from there, you can transfer to cutting into a potting mix. Good luck!

[@terryharris1856]

We are thinking of redoing our raised garden beds this year We started 2020 2019. Got cheap free wood Now they are going bad that garden beds Any 💡 idea's

[@HomesteadandChill]

Rot resistant wood is a great first step, along with at least 2" thick boards, we typically use 2x6's on the sides with 4x4's on the inside corners to connect them all together. Check out our video on how we build our raised beds: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGG8nJ6lq6iKhKs

[@ginnyosteen8158]

I have a question: do you thread any of the stem or branches i the space between the 2 strings of twine? It seems too narrow, but in the video, you seem to be manipulating some near the twine, but I can’t tell if you’re threading between the 2 pieces of twine.

[@HomesteadandChill]

We only connect the main part of the tomato stem to the green stakes, the twin that runs horizontally is where you would "thread" whatever suckers you end up keeping. There is plenty of space to sandwich the branch in between the two sides of twine. You would then keep training that sucker towards the next row of twine and train it through the twine, keep going and you will have a wall of tomatoes. Hope that helps and have fun growing!

[@rtdonohue]

How does the structure hold up to wind?

[@HomesteadandChill]

It holds up really well, especially so as the tomatoes continue to grow and create a living wall. We don't typically get wind gusts much more than 15-20 mph during the summer though, you could always attach the trellis to the raised bed itself with metal brackets to keep it in place if you are in an especially windy area.

[@rtdonohue]

@@HomesteadandChill thank you!!

[@PetarBojinov]

How often do you water and how much water does each plant get?

[@HomesteadandChill]

We have our garden on automated drip irrigation using drip tape. It is usually set for twice a week for 60 to 90 minutes depending on the time of year. When it gets especially hot and the plants are fully mature, we have occasionally watered three times a week. I can't really say how much you should water as there are many factors that can influence your watering depending on the irrigation you are using as well as the temperature and rainfall that you may or may not get. Tomatoes in general like slow and deep waterings so they can really stretch their roots.

[@PetarBojinov]

@@HomesteadandChill that’s super helpful thank you! I’ve tried 30 min a day every day on 1 gallon drippers and they never get that tall. I’ll try longer periods less frequently.

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@PetarBojinov Exactly, I would maybe even switch the emitters to 2 gallon per hour and water for 45 minutes to an hour, check the soil each day thereafter and see how moist the soil stays. Maybe start with twice a week for close to an hour each watering and see how they do. When your tomato plants are smaller, they will obviously use less water. If your summer weather gets relatively hot and as they grow in size, you will likely need to water for longer and maybe more often. The tomatoes in this trellis system also grow taller because we prune some of their suckers so they grow more into a wall versus a large vining bush. I should also note that these are indeterminate varieties which are vining types that continue to grow throughout the season. Determinate tomatoes are a bush type that normally only grow 4-5 feet tall and should not be pruned in this way. Be sure you know which types the varieties are that you grow.

[@johnkuveke9749]

I was just thinking…maybe i can hang shade cloth over the a frame

[@HomesteadandChill]

I think building a rectangular frame or an A frame for your metal raised bed would work, whatever is easiest for you, either way, you would definitely want to use shade cloth to cover your tomatoes and possibly start them outside in late winter or early spring as I don't think they will produce much fruit once your really hot summer weather sets in as the plants may drop their flowers when temperatures get that hot. Hope that helps and good luck!

[@johnkuveke9749]

Thankyou for answering!! You have an absolutely beautiful garden….garden that us beginners only could dream of. I subscribed to your channel for sure and will tell everyone about it. im growing 3 sun gold cherry tomatos and a black krim in a 5x5 galvanized 17 inch tall raised bed i bought on amazon. It comes in different configurations…8x2….6x3. i thought if i configured it as a 5x5 i could grow a few other things. Do you think 4 tomatoes for a 5 foot length is to many? or maybe change the configuration?

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@johnkuveke9749 You are very welcome and thank you so much for the kind words. In our 8x4 foot raised beds we would grow 4 tomatoes using the trellis system in this video. We grow 3 bush type determinate tomato plants with cages for support in an 8x4 foot bed. We don't typically like to have a raised bed that is more than 4 feet wide as it can be really hard to reach the center of the garden bed without straining your back. If you are mainly interested in growing tomatoes, I think the 8x2 foot configuration would be the best for your 4 tomato plants if you plan to trellis them and prune them somewhat to keep their size in check. Planting them in a single row with the same spacing in between would likely be the best use of your space. Hope that helps.

[@johnkuveke9749]

Thankyou very much!! Got my raised bed in the mail today. Going to lowes to get the wood and supplies as listed tonight so i can put it together tommarrow!! Home depot and lowes dont have redwood 2x2…they have 2x3/8 which is more then half an inch thinner and may not hold up. Just going to get a redwood 2x4 x8 and have them cut it in half😊 I’m looking forward to watching ALL of your video content on utube. Thanks again for all your awesome advice!

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@johnkuveke9749 Good luck! You could likely just use 2x4's instead of the 2x2's and your trellis would be extra sturdy.

[@coachtim6188]

This is attempt number 10. 😂 Does nobody grow vegetable in the ground anymore? Every single video has raised garden beds which makes attaching trellises very easy.

[@coachtim6188]

Ohhhhh wait. It's basically free standing. Interesting. I should wait until commenting on videos. 😂

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@coachtim6188 This trellis would definitely work well in the ground, maybe some anchor points along the feet to keep it anchored down in case of high wind. In regards to the raised beds, we have an incredible amount of gophers on our property and the native soil is more sand than anything so raised beds allow us to protect our vegetable plants from below while also being able to create our own soil composition for the raised beds.

[@coachtim6188]

I saw that after I saw a little more of the video. I'm sorry. My mom always said patience is a virtue, but every time I've asked for patience I got a pretty rough lesson that demanded it. I don't ask anymore. Anyway, we just moved to 12 acres a year ago. Putting in our first garden now. I guess time will tell what all will attack it.

[@HomesteadandChill]

@@coachtim6188 No problem at all and congratulations on your new property. We are currently transforming our 2.67 acre property and you can see our journey on here as well as our website. You should indeed put in a garden and don't worry about what will attack it. Create a diverse garden space with plenty of food for you as well as the pollinators with a variety of flowers. Planting fruit trees is also a great thing to do early if you have the means as the trees will take a few years before they really start producing fruit. Good luck!

[@philgoodpaster3161]

Too expensive.