Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave, When we practice to deceive.  But we're not deceiving anybody.  Today, I want to show you a method called the Florida Weave.  It's not a dance or a hairdo.  I don't know why it's called that.  It was probably developed by a Floridian.  What it is is a successful, easy method for keeping tomatoes upright.  No more stakes.  No more cages.  I learned this from the Internet many years ago and have used this technique ever since.

Let's take a look...  You need just a few items:  some sort of anchor points - I use metal t-posts, and some twine - I use the baling twine that I salvage from the round bales of hay we feed the cows.  I have approximately 15 foot long rows.  I drive a t-post into the ground on each end of the row and then one in the middle.

When your tomatoes are approximately 8 inches tall, you are ready to begin the Florida Weave.  It is a little hard to explain, so I'll describe and then show a few photos.  First, tie off the twine to a t-post on the end.  Pull the twine and zig-zag in and out of each tomato until you reach the center post.  Pull tight and tie off.  Then, continue zig-zagging in and out until you reach the end.  Pull tight and tie off.  Then, continue back the other way, doing the same thing, except go on the OPPOSITE side of the tomato than you did on the first pass.  Pull tight and tie off.

Let's look at some photos:  In this one, you can see how the twine is supporting the tomato plant.

This photo illustrates how the tightly pulled twine around both sides of the plant effectively holds the plant up.  Weave in.  Weave out.

As often as you wish, repeat the steps above as the tomato plant grows.  I run new twine and do the Florida Weave about every 6 to 8 inches.  While I'm doing it, it gives me a great opportunity to check out the health of the plant and pull all the 'suckers' off that are growing in the "elbows" of the tomato plant.

Firm supporting anchors like t-posts with twine pulled tight, enables a supporting skeleton structure for the tomato plants.  I plant indeterminate tomatoes, but this would work with determinates as well, I would think.

As the 'maters start growing, you'll need a stout supporting structure to hold up the weight of the fruit.

Won't be too much longer!  Oh, one more thing, you can add extensions to your t-posts and continue weaving as high up as you can reach.  My hat's off to the developer of the Florida Weave.