The Best Tomato Trellis System to Maximize Airflow

Growing tomatoes in hot, humid climates can feel like fighting a losing battle against fungal diseases.

In the pursuit of winning that battle, I feel like I’ve tried every tomato support system out there.

Cages, stakes, elaborate hoops—you name it.

But this year I decided to test something completely different: a string trellis system that mimics how commercial greenhouse growers do it.

Let me tell you … this has been a game-changer for disease control.

If you’re tired of watching your tomatoes succumb to fungal issues, this maximum airflow method might just be your answer.

What Is the String Trellis System?

This system is refreshingly simple:

T-posts, some conduit, PVC fittings, and strings. That’s it!

The concept comes straight from commercial greenhouse operations where tomatoes are single-stemmed and grown up strings for maximum production.

The key difference? This gives you absolute maximum airflow around every plant.

Here’s what we built:

• Two rows spaced about 3 feet apart
• T-posts at each end with conduit connecting them
• Strings hanging down from the top rail
• Reusable tomato hooks to attach plants to strings

The Single-Stemming Requirement

Just being real—this method ONLY works if you single-stem your tomatoes. That means:

1. Remove all suckers (those shoots growing between the main stem and branches)
2. Strip lower leaves once the plant has enough foliage up top
3. Keep just one main stem growing up the string

I know what you’re thinking: “But I’m losing fruit production!”

Yes, you are reducing your fruiting potential. But here’s the trade-off—in my hot, humid Southern climate, I lose way more tomatoes to disease than I gain from extra branches.

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Why This Works for Disease Control

The magic is in the airflow. With traditional cages or stakes, air gets trapped around dense foliage. This creates the perfect environment for fungal diseases to take hold.

With the string system:

• Air moves freely around every part of the plant
• Leaves dry faster after rain or morning dew
• Humidity doesn’t build up in dense foliage
• Plants can move with wind instead of creating resistance points

I’m doing side-by-side testing this year—my traditional tomato hoops versus this new string system.

So far, the string-grown tomatoes have significantly less disease pressure.

The Must-Have Clips

The secret weapon in this whole setup?

These little reusable tomato clips I found for super cheap (100 pieces for just a few dollars).

For years, I used zip ties or nylon string to support my plants. The zip ties aren’t reusable, and those nylon string knots get so tight by season’s end that I just cut them off anyway.

These hooks:

• Close with a simple tab mechanism
• Hook right under branches to support the plant
• Move up the string as the plant grows
• Store easily for next season

I’ve been placing them every 6-8 inches along the stem, and so far they’re holding strong.

Wind Resistance (My Biggest Concern)

I’ll admit, I was skeptical about this system because we get intense windstorms here.

My tomato hoops handle wind beautifully, but I worried these strings would get whipped to pieces.

Turns out, I was wrong. The flexibility is actually an advantage. Instead of creating a resistance point where wind can snap branches, the plants can move and bend with the storm. Since late spring, we’ve had:

• Two tornado warnings
• Three hail storms
• Multiple popup thunderstorms with high winds

Only one plant suffered hail damage (one branch snapped), but that’s unstoppable anyway. The wind resilience has been impressive.

Building Your Own (Use What You Have)

Our setup is honestly pretty janky—we used some of what we had on the property rather than buying everything new.

You could definitely build this more elegantly, but the concept is what matters.

What we used:

• T-posts from previous projects
• PVC T-fittings we found lying around
• Leftover conduit from building rabbit cages
• String looped around the top rail
• Staples to secure string at ground level

The mixing of plastic PVC with metal conduit isn’t pretty, but it works. When you’re being frugal and strategic with resources, sometimes “good enough” beats “perfect.”

Best Tomato Types for This System

This method works best with indeterminate tomatoes only.

Determinate (bush) varieties put on all their fruit at once, and if you single-stem them, you’ll severely limit production.

Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing and producing until frost takes them out, so removing suckers doesn’t hurt your overall harvest as much.

My Honest Assessment So Far

I’m cautiously optimistic about this system. The airflow is incredible—I don’t think there’s a better trellis for maximum air movement.

For my climate where humidity breeds fungal disease, this could be the solution I’ve been looking for.

The trade-offs:

• Less fruit per plant (due to single-stemming)
• More labor (constant suckering and training)
• Different skill set (learning to manage single stems)

The benefits:

• Maximum disease prevention through airflow
• Wind resilience that surprised me
• Efficient use of space (narrow plant profile)
• Easier harvesting (everything’s at eye level)

The Bottom Line

If you struggle with fungal diseases on your tomatoes—especially in humid climates—this string trellis system is worth testing. The maximum airflow approach addresses the root cause of most tomato disease issues.

Is it more work? Yes.

Will you get fewer tomatoes per plant? Probably.

But if disease has been killing your harvest anyway, this might actually increase your usable tomato yield.

This frugal, use-what-you-have approach to commercial growing techniques might just be the answer you’ve been looking for!