What's the Better Tomato Support:
Ladders or Cages?

Ladders

Cindy Goodenow, Vegetable Gardening Merchant, prefers Tomato Ladders.

"I have a small garden in my front yard. With ladders I can get more plants in a small space. They keep my garden looking tidy, too!"

Tomato Ladder
Cindy Also Recommends:

Aqua Cones: Gardener's Supply Exclusive
Fill a recycled soda bottle with water and use the perforated cones to deliver moisture right to the root zone.

Self-Gripping Plant Ties: This Velcro® brand tape is soft enough for delicate flower stems, yet strong enough for heavy tomato plants.
Tomato ladders and tomato cages

What's Your Favorite Support? Cages, ladders, spirals, old-fashioned stakes or something of your own invention. We conducted a poll in spring of 2008. Visit our new blog, Gardener's Journal, and see the results. We've also asked people to send photos of their tomato support techniques. You can see what others are doing or add your own photos.

Tomatoes

Cages

Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening, trusts Tomato Cages.

"I set the cages up when I plant in May and come back when it's time to start picking. The plants are well-supported and I don't need to bother with pruning or tying."

Tomato Cage
Kathy Also Recommends:

Organic Tomato Fertilizer: Gardener's Supply Exclusive
Give your tomatoes all the nutrients they need for big, abundant fruit. Mix our slow-release granular fertilizer (5-6-5) into soil when transplanting.

Nitrile Gloves: These work gloves fit like a second skin. Back and wrist are a stretchy knit; palm and fingers have a waterproof coating.