Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Grape tomatoes grow with the support of a tomato cage - Jay Gao/Shutterstock Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) may start as ...

Among the garden staples, tomato plants are some of the fastest growers. While this can be a beneficial trait, it also means that they need support early on to prevent breakage, disease, and crowding.

Caging your tomato plants provides support while improving plant health. A plump beefsteak tomato can weigh up to a pound—that’s a lot of weight for the flexible branches of a tomato plant to support.

The plants are prone to breaking, but it can be fixed with a simple change ...