Elegant Tomato Support

The mission, should you chose to accept:  Create a sturdy tomato support for the front yard bed that is both inexpensive and meets the front yard decor criteria of 'nice looking'.

While the cattle panel in the back is working out fabulously,  and for a tad under $20 not bad for supporting up to 16 tomatoes - it doesn't quite meet the 'nice looking' criteria for front yard decor.  Though once the tomatoes fill in - who sees it anyway?

The front garden will probably not have more than 6 tomato pots at a time along the back section - which is the current area to address.

Next up on the plans is the sprawling tomato machine in front of the garden heater.  I'm still bouncing around ideas for that spot.  I've thought of taking out the bush and using a garden arch I have in the back.  But I like the dappled noon day sun that the tom currently gets.

This trellis for the back row was super simple.  I'm putting in two.  They will flank the centered heavy duty shepherds hook and should provide plenty of auxiliary tomato support.  I will continue to start with the dried palm poles as the main plant stake.  These guy wire stakes will let me spread out and support the plants some more.  Without getting to the nearly ugly and not well supported stage I am now.  And yes, they got blown around in the storm yesterday.

With only 3 guy wires, I can't really call this a maypole can I?  How about Tomato Tripod?

Supplies per each:
1 ea 2x2x8 pressure treated wood
3 ea 3/16 turnbuckles
3 ea screw in eye hooks
3 ea packages cable clamps
Cable wire
3 ea heavy duty ground stakes
Paint or stain as desired

I really wanted to attach a matching set of something like lanterns to each one, but didn't find anything that matched my mental picture and my budget.

I stained each post, then marked 12" from the top, 24" from the top, center, and 12" from the bottom.  Drilled and screwed in 2 eye hooks 12" from the top on opposite sides.  24" from the top I drilled and screwed in one eye hook facing  our yard. 

These posts are at the edge of our property line, so running a guy wire to the back wasn't an option.  Besides, there is a path back there that neighbor and I both use - and we both are a bit klutzy.

The post is dug and pounded 18" in ground.  Then backfilled and packed hard with sand.  The guy wires are hooked to the heavy duty stakes, which are driven deep in ground.  Then using a level to attempt to get the post straight, the turnbuckles are tightened to tension.

If I can plan well enough, I'll have the most robust growers on the stakes.  Then flanking by a pot's width - a tomato pot on either side.  Those on the sides, I'll use jute to tie them to the guy wires as they outgrow the palm pole.

I am growing okra between each of the tomato pots, and as they grow if they need a bit of support they to can anchor to the guy wire.  Such is my plan.

Now to figure out how to get the Tomato Tripod installed on the humongous plants go tumbling side.  And think about the solution for in front of the garden heater. 

And move more compost.  Course now it is wet.  But the mountain is shrinking; ....  slowly.  The mountain has offered a great on the job course in 'hot pile' training.  Hubs was duly lectured :).  It will eventually be really nice mulch, but it's too hot right now.  I'm moving it around to use in pathways, and piling up a bunch in the compost zone.  After it breaks down and is not so hot will be when it can go on the gardens.