Supporting your tomato plants is critical for healthy plant growth and also makes it easier to harvest your tomatoes without damaging the fruit or vine.
But tying up tomato plants with string, tape, or twist ties alone can be a lot of work. That’s where tomato clips come in. These helpful little tools make securing your tomato plant to its support system easy, setting it up to thrive.
Read on for a list of the best tomato clips you can buy and to learn how to use them to bring new life to your garden.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Ram-Pro Green Gentle Gardening Lever Loop Gripper Clips
Best for Small Tomato Plants:
Hysagtek Tomato Clips
Best for Large Tomato Plants:
KINGLAKE Tomato Support J-Hook Clips
Best Overall
Ram-Pro Green Gentle Gardening Lever Loop Gripper Clips
The Ram-Pro Lever Loop Gripper Clips are the best tomato clips overall for their ease of use, versatility, durability, and appearance.
Product Features
These green plastic tomato clips have handles that you pinch to open and release to close. The wide center opening of the clip can accommodate large vines and has an extra gap at the front for attaching to stakes or string.
They’re sold in combination sets that include one-inch wide small clips and 1.75-inch wide large clips.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Durable and reusable
- Clips come in various sizes
- The green color is better camouflaged in garden
Cons
- Pricey
- Sold in small sets of 20, 40, or 80
Best for Small Tomato Plants
Hysagtek Tomato Clips
The Hysagtek Tomato Clips are a great option for plants with thin, lightweight vines. This product is also a good value, at under $10 for a pack of 200 clips. But these clips are made of very thin plastic and which makes them the best tomato clips for small tomato plants only.
Product Features
In their default configuration, these small green plastic tomato clips have a center opening that’s about one inch wide. You can also daisy-chain multiple clips together to span a longer distance or create a larger opening.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Versatile and adjustable
- The green color is better camouflaged in garden
- Good value for a set of 200
Cons
- For use with small plants only
Best for Large Tomato Plants
KINGLAKE Tomato Support J-Hook Clips
These J-shaped plant support hooks are a game changer for large, heavy tomato plants. They’re sturdy, durable, and simple to integrate into your garden, making them the best tomato clips for beefsteak tomato plants. Overall, this is the best tomato clip for larger tomato plants.
Product Features
The Kinglake Tomato Support J-Hook clips are about five inches long. They have two small hooks at one end and a single, wider hook at the other.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Durable and reusable
- Provides the most support for heavy fruit clusters
- Good value for a set of 100
Cons
- Hooks don’t fasten securely and can fall off outdoor plants
KINGLAKE Tomato Trellis Clips
Kinglake’s Tomato Trellis Clips are simple, clear plastic tomato clips that work well with small and medium-sized plants. And they’re sold in a large pack for under $15, making them the best tomato clips for gardeners on a budget.
Product Features
These clear plastic tomato clips come in a single size with a one-inch diameter. They have hinges on either end that snap together best when squeezed with firm pressure from both sides.
Pros
- Suitable for small to medium-sized plants
- Good value for a set of 200
Cons
- Latch closure is less user-friendly than some other models
- Thin plastic material is prone to UV damage and breaking
Buyer’s Guide to the Best Tomato Clips
Keep reading to learn about the different kinds of tomato clips, how to use them, and how to decide which ones to buy.
Types Of Tomato Clips
The best tomato clips for supporting a plant’s vertical growth are secure latch closures that will firmly hold the vines in place.
Plant support clips with a J- or S-shaped hook are intended to hold up heavy parts of large plants. These are the best tomato clips for cultivars that produce fruit in clusters, which can strain the vines as they grow.
Selecting Features for Your Garden
The main factor to consider when choosing the best tomato clips for you is which varieties of tomatoes you’re growing.
For smaller plants, you want to find a tomato clip with an opening that’s slim enough to grip the thin, delicate vines.
For large and beefsteak tomatoes, use a J-hook-style tomato clip to support heavy parts of the plant. This will keep it from drooping under the weight of ripening fruit.
How To Use Tomato Clips
First, identify where your plant needs support. Then, secure your tomato clips around a portion of the vine and the string, stake, or trellis you want it to follow.
Handle the vine with care and leave plenty of extra room in the center of the clip, giving the plant room to grow.
With hook-shaped tomato clips, use one end of the hook to cradle the stem at the top of a fruit cluster. And attach the other end to a trellis or to another well-supported portion of the plant.
You’ll need to adjust some of your tomato clips as your plants grow. Move them around as needed to keep your tomatoes well-supported throughout the season.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tomato Clips
How do tomato clips work?
Most methods for holding up tomato plants involve the use of twine or other materials that wrap around vines to attach them to support trellises.
But applying tape or knotting string directly around the vines and stems of sensitive tomato plants can strangle or damage them. Plastic tomato clips can secure your plant to its supports with little or no direct contact with the vine, reducing the risk of damage.
Are tomato clips reusable?
Whether your tomato clips will endure through multiple growing seasons depends on the thickness and quality of the plastic.
If you’re growing tomatoes outdoors, you can expect heat, sun, and inclement weather to take a toll on these little plastic tools. Your best bet against the elements? A sturdier, likely more pricey tomato clip with a strong closure, like our number one pick.
Time to Choose the Best Tomato Clips for You
Now you know how to use the best tomato clips to support your vertical garden quickly. All that’s left is to pick which are the best ones for you and get started tying up your tomato plants like a pro.
And head over to our tomato plants homepage next to learn more about growing tomatoes at home.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Ashley Lystne is a writer for Minneopa Orchards, a fiction author, and creator of interactive novel choice games. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. Ashley tried out living in just about every major city in America before settling down in Washington state, where she currently resides.
A lifelong vegetarian passionate about growing her own food, Ashley also has a local side hustle cultivating and selling ornamental house plants. She loves contributing to Minneopa Orchards, where she can share her passion for all things plants and gardening.