Everybody has a favorite way of growing their prized tomatoes. My way is to support them with cages. After many years of experimenting, I’ve settled on caging as the easiest and best way to care for tomatoes. Tomato plants support themselves easily inside a cage. Because they receive very little pruning, they grow enough leaves to shade the tomatoes. This protects them from sunscald and helps them ripen evenly.
Garden stores sell cages, but you can make better ones at home. Cages should be strong, at least 5 feet tall (to handle the big varieties) with holes big enough so that you can harvest big tomatoes.
Concrete reinforcing mesh is often regarded as the ideal cage material, but I don’t think it is. It’s hard for many people to find, it’s somewhat expensive, and it rusts quickly. I prefer a sturdy galvanized wire mesh that you can use for years. The cages can be from 12 to 30 inches in diameter. You need about 3 feet of material for every 1 foot of diameter. I like a cage diameter of 24 or 30 inches, especially for my main crop tomatoes like Better Boy and Big Boy, so I make them from mesh 6 to 71/2 feet in length.
I tie down the cages on two sides to short stakes I drive into the ground. Then I know the cages won’t ever topple.
Here’s an easy way to give your caged tomato transplants a boost early in the season. When you put the tomato plants in the ground, set the cages over them immediately, push the bottom wires firmly into the ground, and secure with small stakes.
Then make a tight circle of foot-high black felt roofing paper (or dark plastic) around the outside of the cage at ground level. Staple together the overlapping ends of the paper. The black paper will gather heat for the tomato plants and will protect them from bruising winds.
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
The simple way I get Juicy, even-Ripening Picture Perfect Tomatoes: Growing Tomatoes Plants in cages
- Simple Garden Projects: Birdbaths and Fountain
- A creative Garden Art: Bending for Bonsai
- Simple Water Features
- The Bonsai Box
- Indoor Plants: Pots or Containers?
- Formal Ponds
- How do you choose a suitable tree at a nursery?
- Buying finished bonsai
- Perfect Plants for Acid Soild
- Ginseng
Very good description of the use of Tomato Cages.
We still do the old fashioned pruning and tying system
using the Florida weave.
Discover a new technique, get answers for your gardening questions, or about your favorite plants with this selection of gardening books. … Vegetable Plants
• Weathered stone finish • Outdoor use • Made of durable poly resin • speed pump • $359. … Flower Pots
Plants grow 18 to 20 inches high, spread 12 to 18 inches, and stay covered with daisy like 1 to 2 inch flowers of lilac purple accented by gold centers. … Gift Ideas
Insert your email address to receive special offers and tips from the gardening experts at Gardens Alive! … Organic Fertilizer
And the best thing is, you really don t have to be born with a green thumb to give life to a glorious garden. … Flowers Love Flower Power
Quantity optional items Year Extended Product Replacement Guarantee $24.99 This hedger is a great gardening gadget. … Plant Carrier Sleeve Plus