Using Tomato Stakes
With fountains, greenhouses, and gazebos ruling the world of garden structures, there is another structure that is often forgotten or overlooked but may be the greatest of them all. It has the most use and while the other structures make things pretty, the tomato stake is a structure that ensures one of life’s greatest treasures - tasty tomatoes.
Tomato plants are fragile things and oftentimes do not grow perfectly straight into the air. They also hold pieces of fruit that are heavier than the plants are designed to hold. The fruit reaches bloom before the actual plant is grown to full height, so things can get uneven in the world of the tomato.
Many people wonder why someone would pay money for a tomato stake bought from a store. After all, it’s just a stick, right? Well, while it is a stick, store-bought tomato stakes are high-quality sticks that have been treated with a lacquer or some form of weather-protection chemicals. Without those chemicals, the wood could rot, and the rot might transfer to the tomato plant. If you’d like to try your hand at making your own stakes, the task isn’t difficult. Just find a piece of wood and paint it with lacquer or weather protector. Otherwise, you can use a broom handle as a substitute.
If you are willing to put some money into your garden, there is a variation on the tomato stake that may be a better option. The tomato cage is a circular fence that is placed around the outside of the tomato plant. It is more expensive but requires less work, as the tomato plant will grow around the wire and support itself. No matter which variation you choose to hold up your plants, the benefits of using a tomato stake are great for your garden.