So last year was my first ever year of any gardening, and I just sort of winged it. It wasn’t bad last year, but it was frustrating with wind, storms, and the weight of the pods on the plant which would ultimately tear apart a few plants last year along the way.
I did use a stake last year along with some Velcro adhesive straps cut to length it tether it for support, but the weight of the branches and pods were tearing off branches and the center stake alone couldn’t provide peripheral support for the extended branches as they continued to grow outward. Last season by the time I had understood why other people suggested to use a cage or outer support and wanted to use something, the plants were too big for me to put a tomato cage around. So I caged them early this season.
by OneThousandPassword