Hi, Does anyone have a favorite way of keeping their tomatoe plants upright. Last year my plants were massive and the store bought cages were almost worthless. I would appreciate any ideas.
Thanks, Mike
Tomatoe cage ideas
Mike, I took a cattle panel and let them grow up thru it. The panel I used was 4 ft tall. They will top it and trail down the other side and are 14- 16 ft long so will accomodate quite a few plants. pod
At HD or Lowe's you can buy "sheets" of metal fence-like stuff by the foot or yard and make your own cylinders to go around tomato plants as you plant them. Those teensy plants look silly in there at first but stand back - before you know it the cage you made will be full of tomato plant!
Ann
Yes, that's welded wire fencing and that's what I use for tomato cages. The 4-foot wide kind is okay for them. I use metal rods driven deep in the soil to anchor them, because sometimes the wind can blow them over.
We use the fencing rolls used for the cattle.....they just roll them into the right size and driven down just like lindatx8 is talking about.....
Here is a post on a thread about trellis' from the livestock wire. I think Cat had the best idea, but the whole thread is worth the read.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3091545