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-   -   Making Tomato Cages from Concrete Mesh (http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=10839)

Thawley April 3, 2009 12:48 AM

Making Tomato Cages from Concrete Mesh
 
[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/3408724154_0613a2d28b.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Home Depot sells 5x150' rolls of 6" concrete mesh for $120. Using 13 squares (6.5') per cage, one roll of mesh will make 23 cages. The full roll is heavy – 150lbs – so use a dolly or a friend to help you move it.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3407916405_9627232bbd.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
The ends are bent inward to keep the roll closed.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3407916457_b718e583f4.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
A-clamps or a helper will keep the roll from springing open when the ends are straightened out.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3408724684_14aa0fc20a.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/3407916505_a89139d876.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Get some good pliers to unbend and open the roll. The bigger and better the pliers, the less pain and soreness will be required.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3407916585_9b5a8edab6.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Wood, bricks or container plants can be used to manage the roll and keep it from getting away from you. (It wants to unwind more than you may want it to...)

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/3408724442_a093f6d06e.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Count out the number of 6" squares for the size cage you want – I used 13 squares – and cut each horizontal wire tightly against the 5' vertical wire. That'll make all the ends the same length and give you a clean vertical wire at the beginning of the next 6.5' length.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3660/3408724462_36225e86d3.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
You can use the pliers to bend the ends – but I had a nut driver with a hole drilled about an inch or so up into the shaft. The fixed depth of the hollow gave me consistent length bends without having to measure.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3555/3408724484_28cab1346f.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Nut driver handle gave good leverage and straight, tidy bends.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3562/3407916685_1894ec3fa5.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3407916701_3ebe6b04fe.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Bent ends form hooks that grab the vertical wire at the other end once rolled.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/3407916731_07eb4971f4.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/3408724612_f4cdb3dc3a.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
Overlapping the ends by one 6" square keeps the cage round and gives you something to hold onto when hooking all the ends in place.

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3340/3408724590_4d86fb5702.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3408724650_62f7614879.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
The cage [I]should[/I] hold itself together without additional fasteners or welding. I used wire-ties to prevent any surprise movement or dismemberment that might occur once the cage is weighted down with tomatoes.

sprtsguy76 April 3, 2009 01:23 AM

I bought a roll of the 5' last year. At 13 squares a cage it seemed like they made a 100 cages! I say better to buy in bulk. Good choice.

Damon

desertlzbn April 3, 2009 01:43 AM

How big in circumference is that? I have 4ft high field fencing that was left over from an old fence maybe 30 ft long, and I was going to roll it all the way out cut 6 ft lengths and then make cages that way, but I don't know if it will be too small in circumference.
Thanks

Polar_Lace April 3, 2009 01:46 AM

[quote=Thawley;126308][IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/3408724154_0613a2d28b.jpg?v=0[/IMG]

[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3408724684_14aa0fc20a.jpg?v=0[/IMG]
[/quote]

I like your Supervisor, Thawley!! :):cute::cute:
8-) Dog.

~* Robin

dice April 3, 2009 06:58 AM

Circumference (length around the circle) = 3.1416 * diameter
(length across the circle)

If his circumference is 6' (13 squares at 1/2 foot per square,
minus 1/2 foot for the overlap, gives 6'), then his cages are
6'/3.1416 = a little less than 2' across.

If he cut them the same and then rolled them up the other
way (so that they would be taller), they would only be 4-1/2'
in circumference, and they would only be about 17" across
the circle (which probably seems a little tight and could
lead to broken branches with fruit hanging outside the cage).

Thawley April 3, 2009 09:48 AM

[QUOTE=Polar_Lace;126314]I like your Supervisor, Thawley!! [/QUOTE]
That's Trudy. Not much of a tomato grower. She enjoys barking at other dogs, cultivating soil and rolling in freshly applied manure.

Worth1 April 3, 2009 10:06 AM

What do you use to keep the cages from falling over?
Every spring here we get high winds, yesterday it was blowing around 45mph.

Worth

Thawley April 3, 2009 10:21 AM

Worth –

I use screws and anchors for the cages next to the house in the driveway bed. Secure them near the top and they stay very well put.

Going out today to get some 1/2" rebar to cut into 3' lengths for the free standing cages. I've got a few 3' fence-posts from another project that work very well. But they cost more than I feel is necessary.

[IMG]http://images.hardwareandtools.com/P/u146647.jpg[/IMG]

Barbee April 3, 2009 10:50 AM

Looks great! I am shocked you can buy the CRW that has no rust. Here, the rolls are nasty and you get covered in rust just loading them into your vehicle.

creister April 3, 2009 10:59 AM

I went and bought some tent stakes at Academy. Buy the 12 in. ones, 15 is too long. I have both. They work real well and are reusable. I also just connect cages with the wire zip ties, don't do any bending. Works very well.

kwselke April 3, 2009 11:07 AM

Is Trudy a Chocolate Lab or a Chesapeake? Great looking dog.

Thawley April 3, 2009 12:05 PM

Trudy's a chocolate lab/Australian shepherd hybrid.

PaulF April 3, 2009 04:49 PM

I use 89 cent electric fence posts purchased at the local farm supply store. They are re-bar with a triangular piece at the bottom like a regular fence post. I twine them through the 6" mesh and anchor into the soil. Mostly mine take two per cage, but I have used three which will stand up to a tornado.

Mojo April 3, 2009 07:46 PM

Being lazy, I just bought 7' remesh panels from Home Depot and used zip ties and fencing twists to hold the edges together into a tube. No cutting involved. Not sure what I'm going to do about staking, trying several approaches.

Thawley April 3, 2009 09:22 PM

Love to see photos of that. 7' seems like the ideal height.

Polar_Lace April 3, 2009 09:28 PM

[B][URL="http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2007/06/building_tomato_cages.html"]Building tomato cages[/URL][/B]

Will this work Thawley?

~* Robin

piegirl April 3, 2009 10:32 PM

Because Nebraska is very windy, I cut the bottom wire off the cages. Then you can push the 'legs' into the ground as anchor w/ t posts. Also use the electric fence posts PaulF mentioned. May have you bring me a bunch - way more tha .89 here. Piegirl

tomakers April 4, 2009 02:40 AM

I always use bolt cutters on the CRW, makes things much easier. I use 10 squares (5') giving about 17" diameter. If this is not tall enough I let them fall over the top to the ground (that makes 9').
To hold them up I cut off the bottom wire leaving 6" spikes to go in the ground. If that isn't enough I use a stake or 2 pounded into the ground along side the cage and a zip tie to hold them together. Works for me.
I have about 70 cages. If they become bent or deformed too much (son hit them with the riding lawnmower) they become cuke cages or bean towers and make some more.
JMO,
Tom

Ruth_10 April 5, 2009 10:15 PM

1 Attachment(s)
[quote=Barbee;126355]Looks great! I am shocked you can buy the CRW that has no rust. Here, the rolls are nasty and you get covered in rust just loading them into your vehicle.[/quote]

The wire Thawley is using is galvanized, so no rust. This is distinct from the concrete reinforcing wire, which is not galvanized and comes "pre-rusted." I suspect the galvanized wire is slightly more expensive, but I've never done a pricing comparison of the two. And, yes, you want to watch out when you're working with those rolls. They can jump out and bite you.

I used the galvanized wire from a large roll as in Thawley's photos. A large T-bar pounded into the ground and wired on supports the cage.
[ATTACH]7767[/ATTACH]

Polar_Lace April 5, 2009 10:26 PM

Very nice looking Ruth. Did you leave the cages out there all winter long?

~* Robin

Barbee April 5, 2009 11:16 PM

Galvanized! I didn't know they made such a thing. I've got to check that out.

Thawley April 5, 2009 11:56 PM

Got Rust?
 
[QUOTE=Ruth_10;126628]The wire Thawley is using is galvanized, so no rust.[/QUOTE]
Never seen galvanized... I used the regular, [I]garden-variety[/I] mesh everyone else uses. (I really crack myself up sometimes...) It comes lightly oiled and was stored it indoors where I got it.

Fast forward two days from the photos that started the thread and it's now got the standard, terra-cotta tint patina we all know and love. They're now the same color as my dog...

PS – that's a great looking tomato patch Ruth. Makes me want to dig up my lawn for more space.

Worth1 April 5, 2009 11:59 PM

Spray em with Ospho. ;)

Worth

Polar_Lace April 6, 2009 12:34 AM

At Home Depot: [URL="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100318395"]5 Ft. x 100 Ft. 14 Gauge 4 x 2 Mesh Galvanized Welded Wire[/URL]

[URL="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100318387&N=10000003+90016+527472"]3 Ft. x 100 Ft. 14 Gauge Galvanized 4 x 2 Mesh Welded Wire[/URL]

The 7 foot length was there last week, can't find it now. Maybe in another HD.

~* Robin

Polar_Lace April 6, 2009 12:42 AM

[URL="http://www.ospho.com/"]Ospho.com[/URL]

[FONT=Tahoma][B]MSDS[/B][/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma] Materials Safety Data Sheet: [URL="http://www.ospho.com/images/MSDS2005.pdf"]PDF[/URL][/FONT]

Will they glow in the dark, Worth?:):twisted::)):shock:

~* Robin

Worth1 April 6, 2009 12:50 AM

No but it will ruin a paint job on a car and if you get it on the ground it will boil.

Its good stuff.:yes:

I always have different acids and stuff around the house.:twisted:

Worth

korney19 April 7, 2009 01:24 AM

4 Attachment(s)
I bought galvanized sheets a few yrs ago and made a large variety of cage configurations. Triangular cages I use 1 plant in each corner. I also make 3ft x 7ft "pens" and various sizes of "stalls."

[IMG]http://mysite.verizon.net/~korney19/v2-516x600.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://mysite.verizon.net/~korney19/_OutWindowPics640.jpg[/IMG]

Here's a 3ft x 7ft pen that holds container tomatoes, anywhere from 8 thru 12 plants:

[IMG]http://mysite.verizon.net/~korney19/3x7pen.jpg[/IMG]

And here's a way to both anchor and EXTEND the height of your CRW cages:

[IMG]http://mysite.verizon.net/~korney19/cage.jpg[/IMG]


You cut the bottom ring where it joins each vertical wire (only 1 cut per square) and then bend each down, from horizontal to a vertical position.

Hope this helps.

Ruth_10 April 10, 2009 09:51 PM

[quote=Polar_Lace;126632]Very nice looking Ruth. Did you leave the cages out there all winter long?

~* Robin[/quote]

I do leave them out, though I do move them onto my strawberry bed to keep the deer from eating the plants.

I would put them inside, but I have too many (about 60 now; good problem to have, IMO).

Polar_Lace April 10, 2009 10:58 PM

Good thinking Ruth (putting them on your strawberry plants.)

But I think I need some Rabbit/Chicken wire liner outside. I seem to have 2 vegetarian dogs!! LOL!! :)):))

They've eaten spinach, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, peas and string beans straight off of the plants this year! They now have cable runners set up to avoid digging in the garden and perusing the veggie crops. And I thought it was funny when they started to eat the frozen veggies that fell on to the floor.......... :lol::lol:

This is and old, old link I first saw before about setting up veggie cages in 2004.
[URL="http://www.victoryseeds.com/information/tomato_baskets.html"]Tomato Baskets[/URL]

And this one too: You have to scroll down the page to see the pictures, which you click on so they can get bigger:
[URL="http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/beans/beantrellis.html"]Pea And Bean Growing & Trellising[/URL]

Thank you very much, Victory Seed Company!!! :D:D:yes::yes::yes:

~* Robin

korney19 August 18, 2009 10:18 AM

Big trans-Atlantic BUMP!!!


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