We plant thousands of tomato plants and have tried all support systems, but now use the Florida Weave almost exclusively (anybody wanna buy 800 CRW cages?).
I had a hard time learning the FW system, until I made a few discoveries:
(1) The "box on the belt" was awkward. It's a lot easier with two people - one carrying the twine, the other tying, and trading-off every few hundred row/feet when your back starts to hurt. I never did master the pvc tool they talk about - and still don't understand how it works!
(2) No need to criss-cross between plants. It serves no useful purpose and only makes it harder and can even damage the plants - take a double turn on each stake (not a knot or you'll be sorry time at clean-up time) and just go straight down each side. For most determinates, three runs, a foot apart, are enough. (Amelia needs a fourth run and 5' stakes). Some of the more compact cultivars only need two runs.
We use poly baling twine because it doesn't stretch - the thinner stuff works okay because it sort of "flattens" when tight against the stems, and we find it easier to work with than the larger diameter - also cheaper.
(3) We use 4' X 3/8" reinforcing rods, driven-in one foot, and placed 36" apart. Put two plants (18" centers) in between each set of stakes.
Jack
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