Tomato cages - Page 2

stormymater · March 3, 2009

Keeps me from being "that lady" LOL!

Penny · March 4, 2009

Cool set up....i cant wait to see some pics once everything is growing.

Polar_Lace · March 5, 2009

Barbee,

I edited your picture to show you what I did to secure my Woody Cages (as I have no pictures right now.)

The Black Stripes are where I put some bailing wire on, with eye screws. Both sides; front and back.

The brown color is where I put some extra wood; and buried it in the ground up to that point. This method worked as a "deadman's anchor" which I learned from making a "deadman's post."

I can't figure how to get rid of that white stuff around the picture "crop" didn't work right.

~* Robin

Barbee · March 5, 2009

Hey Robin,
I think the baling wire is brilliant! I have plenty of that around, and it's something I can do myself. The brown I'm not so sure about, but I'll show the pic to my hubby and maybe he can figure it out. How are yours holding up? Did you put a finish on them?

Polar_Lace · March 7, 2009

Hi Barbee,

No, I didn't put any finish or paint on them. They're still going strong though. I wonder if they're going to be able to hold up to these Texas winds down here. I see that right now the winds tend to go wild sometimes. Other times it's dead calm wind, so you have to know what to do.

I'm building some simple windbreakers for the tomatoes that will double as "searing sun protectors." They will be made from some simple white sheeting cloth and some 8 foot stakes, so set-up and take down will be easy. I got the idea from a book I just purchased.

~* Robin

Jimche · March 13, 2009

Barbee,
Those are indeed cool. Remind me of my days out west working as a geologist on oil rigs. You should get some giant plants going on those! Nice work.
Jimche

lumierefrere · March 15, 2009

Thanks. I always say I'm support-challenged but maybe I can do this. I don't have many tools but I do have a power drill.

B

Barbee · March 15, 2009

Hehe, my neighbor asked me if the rungs were for climbing up to pick the maters. I told him not to worry, I'd get those tomatoes picked somehow. I'm a tad height challenged, but I make up for it in width

Polar_Lace · March 15, 2009

Vertically Challenged?

What you need Barbee (and me too):

The Grabber

I got this "Granny Ladder" at WM last week --- big flat steps. $34.99.

~* Robin

Barbee · March 15, 2009

I have that granny ladder! It is NICE. LoL @ the grabber. We need a tomato grabber. Surely one of the guys on this forum can figure it out!

dcarch · March 15, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbee

I have that granny ladder! It is NICE. LoL @ the grabber. We need a tomato grabber. Surely one of the guys on this forum can figure it out!

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...hlight=grabber

dcarch

Barbee · March 15, 2009

Hee hee I knew it!
How cool is that!?! Did you buy it like that, or rework one?

jay695 · March 29, 2009

I use homemade tomato cages made of 6" x 6" cconcrete re-inforcing wire with 6 ft height.

The cages they sell at Lowes and Home Depot are too little for my tomato plants.

The aspect that I love most about these cages is that once they are placed around the plant, there is absolutely no additional work - OK, I agree sometimes I may have to discipline a wayward branch back to the cage.

When I was using stakes, it was a constant struggle to keep the plant attached to the stake - every weekend I spent a lot of time tying the fast growing plant to the stake.

I grow indeterminate types.

My cages are about 5 years old now. I think they will last another 10 to 15 years.

During off season I hang them horizontally under the deck.

Here is a link to my blog showing this approach:
http://yourhomegardenblog.com/vegeta...sing-wire-mesh

Mojo · March 29, 2009

I just made a dozen new cages along Jay's line. Went to Orange Temple of Doom, bought a dozen 84"x42" (7' x 3 1/2') remesh sheets with the 6"x6" squares, and bend each one into a cylinder, then used Zip-ties and fencing twists to join the rolls together. They're only 7' tall but that's going to be the limit of what I can reach. They aren't currently attached to stakes, but some of them are on plants that are next to stakes that are deep in the ground. I'm actually thinking of running guy lines to my exterior fencing in lieu of staking the cages, it would leave more room for the roots and provide additional places for vines to run.

Barbee · March 30, 2009

Update on the cages..
I found the dog tie out stake thingies at the Dollar Store for 2.00 each. Yay!
I sent our little after school worker out this afternoon to get my cages and bring them back to the barn so I could attach the baling wire to them, so everything is ready to go when the tomatoes are ready. I hear a big scream and look out the window and he is running as fast as he can out of the building. Seems a skunk has taken up residence in my little storage building

He woke him up pilfering around (atually I had just been out there to get some 1 gallon pots to clean up for planting a few maters in so I probably woke him up). I tried to convince him that the skunk wouldn't spray him during the daylight hours but he wasn't buying it LoLoL
So the project is on hold until I can get the skunk taken care of I guess.

March 5, 2009	#18
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Barbee, I edited your picture to show you what I did to secure my Woody Cages (as I have no pictures right now.) The Black Stripes are where I put some bailing wire on, with eye screws. Both sides; front and back. The brown color is where I put some extra wood; and buried it in the ground up to that point. This method worked as a "deadman's anchor" which I learned from making a "deadman's post." I can't figure how to get rid of that white stuff around the picture "crop" didn't work right. ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 5, 2009	#19
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Hey Robin, I think the baling wire is brilliant! I have plenty of that around, and it's something I can do myself. The brown I'm not so sure about, but I'll show the pic to my hubby and maybe he can figure it out. How are yours holding up? Did you put a finish on them? __________________ *Barbee*

March 7, 2009	#20
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Hi Barbee, No, I didn't put any finish or paint on them. They're still going strong though. I wonder if they're going to be able to hold up to these Texas winds down here. I see that right now the winds tend to go wild sometimes. Other times it's dead calm wind, so you have to know what to do. I'm building some simple windbreakers for the tomatoes that will double as "searing sun protectors." They will be made from some simple white sheeting cloth and some 8 foot stakes, so set-up and take down will be easy. I got the idea from a book I just purchased. ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 15, 2009	#23
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Hehe, my neighbor asked me if the rungs were for climbing up to pick the maters. I told him not to worry, I'd get those tomatoes picked somehow. I'm a tad height challenged, but I make up for it in width __________________ *Barbee*

March 15, 2009	#24
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Vertically Challenged? What you need Barbee (and me too): The Grabber I got this "Granny Ladder" at WM last week --- big flat steps. $34.99. ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them. Last edited by Polar_Lace; March 15, 2009 at 09:47 PM. Reason: forgot something

March 3, 2009	#16
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Keeps me from being "that lady" LOL!

March 4, 2009	#17
Penny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 948	Cool set up....i cant wait to see some pics once everything is growing.

March 13, 2009	#21
Jimche Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 58	Barbee, Those are indeed cool. Remind me of my days out west working as a geologist on oil rigs. You should get some giant plants going on those! Nice work. Jimche

March 15, 2009	#22
lumierefrere Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 4 NY Posts: 772	Thanks. I always say I'm support-challenged but maybe I can do this. I don't have many tools but I do have a power drill. B

March 29, 2009	#28
jay695 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Maryland Posts: 1	I use homemade tomato cages made of 6" x 6" cconcrete re-inforcing wire I use homemade tomato cages made of 6" x 6" cconcrete re-inforcing wire with 6 ft height. The cages they sell at Lowes and Home Depot are too little for my tomato plants. The aspect that I love most about these cages is that once they are placed around the plant, there is absolutely no additional work - OK, I agree sometimes I may have to discipline a wayward branch back to the cage. When I was using stakes, it was a constant struggle to keep the plant attached to the stake - every weekend I spent a lot of time tying the fast growing plant to the stake. I grow indeterminate types. My cages are about 5 years old now. I think they will last another 10 to 15 years. During off season I hang them horizontally under the deck. Here is a link to my blog showing this approach: http://yourhomegardenblog.com/vegeta...sing-wire-mesh Last edited by jay695; March 29, 2009 at 12:40 PM.

March 29, 2009	#29
Mojo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 317	I just made a dozen new cages along Jay's line. Went to Orange Temple of Doom, bought a dozen 84"x42" (7' x 3 1/2') remesh sheets with the 6"x6" squares, and bend each one into a cylinder, then used Zip-ties and fencing twists to join the rolls together. They're only 7' tall but that's going to be the limit of what I can reach. They aren't currently attached to stakes, but some of them are on plants that are next to stakes that are deep in the ground. I'm actually thinking of running guy lines to my exterior fencing in lieu of staking the cages, it would leave more room for the roots and provide additional places for vines to run. __________________ There is no logical response to the question, "Why won't you let me plant more tomatoes?"

March 30, 2009	#30
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Update on the cages.. I found the dog tie out stake thingies at the Dollar Store for 2.00 each. Yay! I sent our little after school worker out this afternoon to get my cages and bring them back to the barn so I could attach the baling wire to them, so everything is ready to go when the tomatoes are ready. I hear a big scream and look out the window and he is running as fast as he can out of the building. Seems a skunk has taken up residence in my little storage building He woke him up pilfering around (atually I had just been out there to get some 1 gallon pots to clean up for planting a few maters in so I probably woke him up). I tried to convince him that the skunk wouldn't spray him during the daylight hours but he wasn't buying it LoLoL So the project is on hold until I can get the skunk taken care of I guess. __________________ *Barbee*