How to Stake Tomatoes the Rustic Sicilian Way!

Behold our rustic garden.

This ain't Italy and we're not Sicilian but, we like how they do things (minus mafia mayhem).  They treat their tomatoes with an "in yo face" no nonsense approach and demand a profit.  Yo Pauly!

Mike and I have gone the rounds on how to stake tomatoes.  I want tidy, symmetrical, gigantic cages and he wants...this.  But every  year, even in our pathetic garden zone, we get a killer crop of the juicy red orbs.


Which proves to me, tomatoes appreciate ugly gardens.



The beauty of the tough guy approach to tomato staking is economical simplicity.  The materials can be broken down and used year after year, the method allows for air circulation and containment and, last but now least:  a great way to repurpose T-shirts!

Here they are, the rustic implements needed for tough guy tomato staking.

5 ft. 1 X 1's or lengths of bamboo (3 to one plant)
A box of old t-shirt strips
Mallet
Knot tying merit badge (just kiddin)

Here you have it, a basic happy tomato plant thriving in it's rustic, Italian inspired incarceration.


Don't feel too sorry for our plants, they get LOTS of compost, deep watering tubes for cool, moist roots, a clean, sharp knife for pruning vs. a dull one that hurts and these organic tomato fertilizer stakes for good behavior :)




Our tomato beds may not be pretty, but I'll take a rustic, tumbly, happy garden any day of the week!  Gotta love all things Italian, they make my world a delicious place be, even in Wyoming!


Off to market for crusty bread and olive oil...now where did I put my orange Crocs ;)  Love ya Mario...

Rebecca