Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Raybo's Removable, Self-supporting, Collapsible, Tall Cage for the EarthTainer (pics)

baileyj · August 18, 2012

Rockporter,
Sorry I was away..The Plasitdip I found was at Lowes. I really need to get it on the edges before next year.

Update on my zip-ties versus clamps---about 10 days ago we had more wind and rain. My tomatoes are in 3 rows of 4 and are too close together so I will start there...
After the storm I had 3 boxes tipped over, the middle row box knocked into the 3rd row box and tipped it. Also another box (in row 1) tipped due to the cage moving--it had been tight but somehow is no longer seated on the box correctly. It is impossible to reseat at this point with the tomatoes so tall and prolific. No effect on the clamped box, but I only have 1 in row 3.

I have never had a wind problem on this side of the house so I did not put cinderblocks or EMT in to keep the boxes from tipping and was totally surprised. That will teach me...I should have been prepared !

I also find I have moles that have tunneled under and made the ground soft on the third row side, so the edge is no longer totally flat, making it softer thus more prone to tip, I guess.
The tomatos in those tipped boxes survived fine, better that I did. They were about 8 foot tall. I turned the boxes slightly and put heavy 5 gallon buckets between so they cannot tip anymore.

Next year I will put the rows much further apart and plan on a wind plan once the tomatoes get so tall. I still vote for the ties, one EB forum poster reported the clamps broke when their box was tipped over so there are no guarrentees the clamps would have held up any better that the ties in my yard.

I will try the zipties agan but on the EB forum Cushman posted an idea of placing 2 3-foot long 1inch EMT into the ground, attaching the cages to 3/4 EMT with clamps. Then sliding the 3/4 into the 1 inch EMT. The cages would not be attached to the box at all but over the box. I wil try that next year, at least on a few. This sounds like a better idea to avoid "sail" problem of the cage in the wind when the plants are so tall....
Good luck...

August 18, 2012	#50
baileyj Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Annapolis Maryland Zone 7 Posts: 120	Rockporter, Sorry I was away..The Plasitdip I found was at Lowes. I really need to get it on the edges before next year. Update on my zip-ties versus clamps---about 10 days ago we had more wind and rain. My tomatoes are in 3 rows of 4 and are too close together so I will start there... After the storm I had 3 boxes tipped over, the middle row box knocked into the 3rd row box and tipped it. Also another box (in row 1) tipped due to the cage moving--it had been tight but somehow is no longer seated on the box correctly. It is impossible to reseat at this point with the tomatoes so tall and prolific. No effect on the clamped box, but I only have 1 in row 3. I have never had a wind problem on this side of the house so I did not put cinderblocks or EMT in to keep the boxes from tipping and was totally surprised. That will teach me...I should have been prepared ! I also find I have moles that have tunneled under and made the ground soft on the third row side, so the edge is no longer totally flat, making it softer thus more prone to tip, I guess. The tomatos in those tipped boxes survived fine, better that I did. They were about 8 foot tall. I turned the boxes slightly and put heavy 5 gallon buckets between so they cannot tip anymore. Next year I will put the rows much further apart and plan on a wind plan once the tomatoes get so tall. I still vote for the ties, one EB forum poster reported the clamps broke when their box was tipped over so there are no guarrentees the clamps would have held up any better that the ties in my yard. I will try the zipties agan but on the EB forum Cushman posted an idea of placing 2 3-foot long 1inch EMT into the ground, attaching the cages to 3/4 EMT with clamps. Then sliding the 3/4 into the 1 inch EMT. The cages would not be attached to the box at all but over the box. I wil try that next year, at least on a few. This sounds like a better idea to avoid "sail" problem of the cage in the wind when the plants are so tall.... Good luck...