Best Way to Tie Up Tomato Plants

Have your tomatoes started to tumble over yet? Once the heat hits, the tomato plants take off and soon they are falling over and need to be tied up. I’ve found the best way to tie up tomato plants and best of all it’s free! Using just a stake and a worn out t-shirt you too can tie up the tomatoes.

The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brown Thumb to Homegrown Goodies

Growing up I was notorious for my terrible cooking and my brown thumb. I had to keep a plant alive for a class in highschool, so I immediately ran it home to my mom. She kept it alive and I got an A. It wasn’t a lack of experience. My mom and Mama both have beautiful flowers and bountiful gardens. As a kid I would help them plant, water, and pick. As a teenager, I would tend to the garden when my mom wasn’t home.

Something about doing it all by myself was different though. I started some seeds and they died. The night custodian gave me an aloe plant, which died within three months. We bought a lavender plant to put on the porch. Dead. Despite my track record, my husband agreed to build me a raised bed in the backyard. I was determined to make it work this time around, so I did what any 25 year old would do and got to Pinterest.

I measured out my bed and divided it into squares. Then I drew it out on paper labeling each box with a plant. Because I am a type A person, I also colored each box according to how many plants would go in a square foot. It looked pretty on paper, but I still hadn’t successfully grown anything yet.

My husband and I went to several stores and nurseries to get the exact number and types of plants I needed to make my paper garden come to life. After that it was up to me. I wound up with a bounty. We had more tomatoes and herbs than I knew what to do with. Success!

FREE Garden Planner

Pin it for Later!

The Best Way to Tie Up Tomato Plants

When I first started growing tomatoes, I did not realize how big the plants would get. I used a flimsy cage from the store instead of my DIY sturdy ones that I make now. By July the plants were so heavy they were falling over and the little cages did not do much good. Determined to figure it out, I went to the garage to see what I could find to tie them up. I came up with the best way to tie up tomato plants.

Start by driving a t-post into the ground near the plant. This will act as an anchor to support the tomato plant.
Then cut the old t-shirt into 2 inch wide strips. I find it easiest to start at the bottom of the shirt. Go up a couple of inches and cut across the shirt. This should give you a loop. Cut that to make a long strip. Continue doing that until you get to the armpits of the shirt. One shirt is enough for several plants.
Next use the strips of t-shirt to gently wrap around the tomato plant and the t-post. Tie it in a knot. Repeat up and down the plant until it is standing.