What wood for a tomato patch stakes?

[radhak]

My neighbor wants me to rip, cut and sharpen a few stakes for her tomato patch.
The idea being she'd space these about 10" apart, tie lotsa twine and allow the tomato vines to grow along, over and around them, like this :



Not that she cares much, but what wood is best for this? I have a few pieces of pressure-treated pine, but that 'd not be safe, right?

Maybe I could rip one of my many SYP 2x4 into thinner strips? I'm not sure these would survive beyond one season though so I shd plan to provide her a new set each season!

[Alex Franke]

I'd probably use pieces of untreated 2x4.

Just don't use any walnut (or butternut). They have a chemical called juglone, which tends to kill tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and some other plants.

[cabinetman]

Untreated Cedar would work.
.

[atgcpaul]

I always have ~ 1" strips I've ripped off boards. I use the maple, cherry, or oak strips to hold up my tomato cages. I don't even sharpen them. Just pound 'em in. Is she only asking for 3-4 or 20?

[eccentrictinkerer]

Don't use poinsettia sticks!

Years ago, when my Mom and Dad lived in southern California, my dad cut back the poinsettia plant growing next to the chimney (the plant was 17' high!). He cut the sticks up and bundled them up for the trash guys.

Mom told dad that he better stake the tomatoes up before they left to come back to Minnesota on vacation. Dad remembered the 3/4" poinsettia stick out at the curb and decided to use them.

When they returned 14 days later EVERY stick had taken root and there were 2 or 3 leaves on the end of each stick!

I told him that he better watch the 2x4's he used to prop up the limbs of his peach tree when they started to droop from the weight of the peaches.

[SARGE..g-47]

I've supplied family.. friends.. neighbors with SYP tomato stakes for years. Throw in a few poplar.. oak.. etc. Just avoid the walnut. You will be surprised at how they hold up. Cut them about 10" long if you are concerned with rot and just cut that off at the end of the season if you get it which is not that likely but you could depending on just how wet your soil stays.

Got a ton of tomatoes on my plants now the size of marbles. Hello fried green tomatoes and mater sandwiches soon. haha..