I've been reading about pruning tomato plants - and tying them to a tall, tall stake, rather than using a cage (which always falls over) or just letting them sprawl on the ground.

Those of you who grow tomato plants, what do you do, and why?

I want to tie, hubby want to let them sprawl. If the bottom of the tomato touches the ground, it rots, that is why they SHOULD be tied. As for the cages, uggh.

A friend made me cages made of used cattle fencing. They're great. I pound in a few "rebars" to hold them in place. When the tomato plants start sprawling out the top, I prune them back. That sends energy into the green tomatoes.

We stake and tie ours b/c of the rot if they are on the ground. The cages are a pain, I agree!
We take the suckers off too.

That's what we do too. Our cages are taller than I am. We grow tomato trees ;-)

I use cages and don't have a problem with them. Just make sure you get the tallest ones you can find. I believe mine are 48" (not 36" like the cheap .99 cent ones are).

My 20+ cages are on their 4th year. Good investment.

As far as pruning...some tomatoes are determinate some are indeterminate. Depends on what type you have.

I buy them at the store or at a farmer's market.

I have a brown thumb. Mine just plain don't grow. :lol: :lol: :lol:

This is the first year in a long time that I have grown tomatos. I have them in tomato cages that I've had here for years. I have been trimming them up a little so I can get to my other plants in the garden. A couple of them were starting to lean so yesterday I shoved them deeper into the ground. I will probably have to stabilize them with something before long.

No growing any this year but I usually staked and tied them. May in Jersey