There are several advantages to training tomatoes to a stake or growing them in wire cages. Training tomatoes conserves valuable garden space for gardeners with small plots. Cultivating and harvesting trained tomatoes are easier. Tomato blight problems are generally less severe because of better air circulation. Plus, trained tomato plants often produce better quality fruit than those allowed to sprawl on the ground.
Training methods vary, but the two most common methods are staking or growing in wire cages.
One way to train tomato plants is by staking. The roots of the tomato plants may be injured if the stakes are put in later in the season. Tie the plant to the stake with strips of old nylon hose or cloth about every 12 inches up the stem. Tie the material in a loose figure 8, with the stake in one loop and the stem in the other. When training the plant to single stem, pinch out the sideshoots or suckers that form in the axil of the leaf and stem.