# Tomato cages /supports



## southpaw (Feb 4, 2021)

Made my own tomato cages out of 3/8" rebar

They are fabricated at 9' and have 7' 6" sticking out of the ground , the triangular shape is 20" and spacing is around 10" ......18" of the rebar supports these cages really well

These measurements were planned beforehand as not to waste any material when I bought a whole bunch of rebar lengths , all that was left were approx, 4" cutoffs from each 20' length of the rebar , 5 cages were made altogether and on the last cage I think the vertical spacing was 12" or 14 " as to save on material being used

The indeterminate tomatoes will grow out the top of these cages easily and are easy to pick the fruit out of ( If I were to make these again a 24" triangle would be my choice and the vertical spacing would be 12" ) ........we grew Roma in 1 cage and that worked out real nice as the fruits again were easy to pick

Also a couple 4' x 8 ' cattle panels were used to support the grape tomato and tomatillos , this year I'll be putting a grape tomato in one 9' cage a let it grow wild 

Thought I would share these plans as just about every gardener loves tomato , the cattle panels do well for the sprawling grape and cherry tomatoes but growing them vertically is going to help keep me off my hands and knees harvesting them ..........I will be rotating those cattle panels this spring so they are going to be 8' tall X 4' wide and will be fabricating my own 10' T posts to support them ........possibly I may make a V shape out of 2 cattle panels and make a trellis system, that would eliminate the need for special fabricated T posts , will post pictures of what I decide on when the project is completed after snow is gone in April

Most likely will do both of those ideas


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Feb 5, 2021)

southpaw said:


> *Made my own tomato cages out of 3/8" rebar*
> 
> They are fabricated at 9' and have 7' 6" sticking out of the ground , the triangular shape is 20" and spacing is around 10" ......18" of the rebar supports these cages really well
> 
> ...


way to go!


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Feb 5, 2021)

no snow down here (yet!) but lots of fall tomatoes. these yesterday foto. still got them on the fall plants. and i noticed yesterday... couple still flowering! yes, we have 2 full growing seasons... Big Beef variety


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## Driver4r (Feb 5, 2021)

We buy rolls of concrete mesh to make ours. Not as thick as a cattle panel. But still gets the job done.


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## southpaw (Feb 7, 2021)

Driver4r said:


> We buy rolls of concrete mesh to make ours. Not as thick as a cattle panel. But still gets the job done.


Yeah that will work just fine also , you can adjust for the size cylindrical shape you want and can stack that material also.

Would make for a good trellis material also along with a compost pile if one wanted to , good garden material for sure

Those pre fab cages and other things they sell in box stores for garden's just don't cut it with me


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## Del_ (Feb 7, 2021)

I use cement reinforcing wire comes in a roll 5ft. x 150ft. The last for years but do eventually rust badly where they are in contact with the soil.


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## Kanscruzer (Feb 7, 2021)

Del_ said:


> I use cement reinforcing wire comes in a roll 5ft. x 150ft. The last for years but do eventually rust badly where they are in contact with the soil.


use 3 ft long rebar & rebar ties , 1' deep , hold the mesh off the ground. My cages last forever . green bean & peas work well with cattle panels


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## Del_ (Feb 7, 2021)

Kanscruzer said:


> use 3 ft long rebar & rebar ties , 1' deep , hold the mesh off the ground. My cages last forever . green bean & peas work well with cattle panels


That is a good Idea. I've considered tying them to erosion control fencing stakes but they are a bit overkill for the task. Some of my cages are 30 years old and would probably go another 30 if supported off of the ground.


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## atlashunter (Feb 16, 2022)

We've tried different methods but eventually settled on cattle panels and t posts. Costs a bit up front but they are sturdy and last years.


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## sonny580 (Feb 17, 2022)

I run out of material so I started using standard woven wire. Lasts for many years, not quite high enough but it works.


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## SweetMK (Feb 17, 2022)

Look up "Florida Weave" on YouTube,,



"Florida Weave" - Google Search



We only weave tomatoes now (also anything else that would climb, like peas, and cucumbers)

A few steel fence posts, and some natural fiber baling twine (the plastic baling twine will not rot away)

Sometimes, I weave the entire height at the start, then tuck in the plants.
Other times, I add a row of weave, each time the plants get taller. BOTH methods work great.






I have had six foot tall tomatoes held up like this. (the aluminum scares crows out of corn about to come out of the ground)

When the plants are done,, hit the twine with a machete, it is so weak, it just falls to the ground.
The cleaned posts are ready for the next season.

I do dispose of the tomato vines, and twine,, I have heard disease can carry over on it,,,


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## sonny580 (Feb 18, 2022)

Twine here wont work at all----too wet and plants grow to big for it to hold them up and it breaks about mid season and the whole mess hits the ground.


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## SweetMK (Feb 18, 2022)

sonny580 said:


> Twine here wont work at all----too wet and plants grow to big for it to hold them up and it breaks about mid season and the whole mess hits the ground.


One of the first years I gardened,, *I fertilized the tomatoes with 10-10-10*,, 
and had vines so big, NOTHING would hold them up,,

BUT,, all that nitrogen,, resulted in_ great vines_,, *BUT, ZERO TOMATOES!!*
I learned my lesson about nitrogen on tomatoes!!* LOL!!  

*


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## sonny580 (Feb 19, 2022)

The only fertilizer here is horse manure!


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## esshup (Feb 20, 2022)

atlashunter said:


> We've tried different methods but eventually settled on cattle panels and t posts. Costs a bit up front but they are sturdy and last years.


I use 2 panels, one vertical and the other one on top of the first one, connected by cheap carabiners braced up at an angle, just steep enough that the pole beans will keep climbing. Then I hunch under it to pick the hanging beans. They are very easy to see that way.


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## PEK (Feb 21, 2022)

Used to use wire across the main metal poles to hold the sticks up but it seemed to damage the tops of the tomato plants during the heat of summer so use baler twine at different heights and as plants grow normal twine tied to sticks to support the weight and height.


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## djg james (Feb 24, 2022)

esshup said:


> I use 2 panels, one vertical and the other one on top of the first one, connected by cheap carabiners braced up at an angle, just steep enough that the pole beans will keep climbing. Then I hunch under it to pick the hanging beans. They are very easy to see that way.


Sounds interesting, but not sure I know what you are talking about. Pics?


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## esshup (Feb 25, 2022)

djg james said:


> Sounds interesting, but not sure I know what you are talking about. Pics?


I'll have to scribble it on paper.


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## esshup (Feb 25, 2022)

The "stakes" are actually a sign post that looks like _/ \_ (the top part is flat with a bunch of holes punched in it the whole length).
The stake that holds up the slightly off vertical piece is in the ground about 2 feet, the hog panels and just connected together by cheap carabiners and there is a carabiner on the top of each of the stakes that aren't in the ground to hold the hog panel on the top of those "stakes". The hog panels are I believe 4'x8'.






You can train them to climb up the hog panel from the ground by tying a piece of hemp string to the bottom of the hog panel where the pole bean plant is coming up from the ground. To clean off the panels after they die, just burn 'em off. You are looking at the 4' side of the hog panel, the 8' length is going away from you.


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## muddstopper (Feb 26, 2022)

Well, I dont know when it became called the Florida weave, but we used to grow tomatoes commercially 50 years ago and we just called it trellis. We would plant post along the row and top the post with a strong wire. From the wire we would tie string down to the plants. We would just wrap the plant with the string as it grew up. We had a small gocart looking tractor we had made racks to hold mater boxes. Boxes where wooden back then and held 30lbs each. Three people would ride the tractor and pick tomato's out of 3 different rows at the same time. When you got to the end of the row, you would unload the full boxes and reload empties and the pick the next three rows until the whole field was picked. You had to pick every day and take to the market, usually everything that would fit in the back of a long bed pickup truck.


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## jolj (Apr 14, 2022)

southpaw said:


> Made my own tomato cages out of 3/8" rebar
> 
> They are fabricated at 9' and have 7' 6" sticking out of the ground , the triangular shape is 20" and spacing is around 10" ......18" of the rebar supports these cages really well
> 
> ...


Well the 3/8 bar will out last my bamboo, of course I can grow more bamboo.
It will out do my hog wire cage too.


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## Abbeville TSI (Apr 15, 2022)

Years ago I bought a roll of 4' field fence and cut lengths long enough to make 18" diameter circles. I ran a 25' length across the garden and trained the cukes up the fence. Easy to pick and the turtles can't bite them if they can't reach them.


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## John Lyngdal (Apr 15, 2022)

I use cattle panel to form a 4x8' in a raised bed box and slide 1x2's in the openings for additional support.


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## farmer steve (Apr 15, 2022)

SweetMK said:


> Look up "Florida Weave" on YouTube,,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Most everyone around here does the Florida weave that are raising lots of tomatoes. Wooden stakes and a special twine that doesn't slip on the stakes when wrapped around them. Only have to tie at the row ends. I've done it but hate pulling stakes. Went back to commercial type cages. Stihl a pain to pull them. Only about 150 tomatoe plants a year any more.


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## jolj (Apr 15, 2022)

farmer steve said:


> Most everyone around here does the Florida weave that are raising lots of tomatoes. Wooden stakes and a special twine that doesn't slip on the stakes when wrapped around them. Only have to tie at the row ends. I've done it but hate pulling stakes. Went back to commercial type cages. Stihl a pain to pull them. Only about 150 tomato plants a year any more.


Forty years ago my B-I-L used Florida weave in Marsh, North Carolina mountains, then thirty one years ago he moved to Sylvania, Ga. & raised tomatoes & Muscadines & a few other fruits. So the weave has been around a long time.


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Apr 16, 2022)

we have first tomato set in the new tomato season... *Big Beef*


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## jolj (Apr 16, 2022)

Backyard Lumberjack said:


> we have first tomato set in the new tomato season... *Big Beef*
> View attachment 981615


Are you in zone 9a?


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Apr 16, 2022)

zone 9a


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## jolj (Apr 16, 2022)

Backyard Lumberjack said:


> zone 9a


Here in zone 8a, I will be putting my plant out this week.
They are in one gallon (3quart) nursery pots now.
Nice plant you have there!


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## Backyard Lumberjack (Apr 16, 2022)

jolj said:


> Here in zone 8a, I will be putting my plant out this week.
> They are in one gallon (3quart) nursery pots now.
> Nice plant you have there!


cut back some this year. only did 4. have done as many as 60+... canned a lot that year! lol

12 days ago, much bigger now...







plants laid in lik: L root ball to left n right of plants. then stem curved up... ferted them yesterday, 13/13/13


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## esshup (Apr 17, 2022)

And tonight's temp here will be in the mid 20's......


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## Backyard Lumberjack (May 22, 2022)

needed a place to store some of my tomato cages... and i found a place worthy. big winds recently


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## Backyard Lumberjack (May 22, 2022)

esshup said:


> And tonight's temp here will be in the mid 20's......


70's here this morning...


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## Backyard Lumberjack (May 22, 2022)

Backyard Lumberjack said:


> we have first tomato set in the new tomato season... *Big Beef*
> View attachment 981615


same plant currently


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## Backyard Lumberjack (May 22, 2022)

jolj said:


> Here in zone 8a, I will be putting my plant out this week.
> They are in one gallon (3quart) nursery pots now.
> Nice plant you have there!


if i was in 8s, maybe i could grow some brussles. 

but we can grow onions down here... 85 from other day, been drying now ready to string up.








sweet Texas 1015's...


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## Backyard Lumberjack (May 28, 2022)

yesterday evening, early - sweet corn has made it to the silking stage... R1


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## jakethesnake (Jul 8, 2022)

If you zoom in that front cage is cattle panel. Had a buddy make some for himself. He gave me one to try. He works at a machine shop so he could roll the cattle panel and weld it up pretty easy. Makes an awesome cage. My others are concrete wire. I’ve got a couple more tomatoes than I have cages so I’ll take 3 wooden posts. Ideally I’d go about 6.5 ft. Drive them in a triangle around the tomato then tie string around the outside. It’s too dark but I’ll grab a picture. Maybe y’all might like the idea. 


I can’t tie mine up. I do use nitrogen. I grow pretty nice tomatoes. I plant celebrity tomatoes. They have worked the best for me so far. I always try a couple other varieties but that’s what works for me. I use the nitrogen early. Then switch over to a phosphate and potassium I farm so I have extra fertilizer laying around. That’s what has worked for me.


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## jakethesnake (Jul 8, 2022)

I think you guys can figure out from the pictures what’s going on there.


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## djg james (Jul 8, 2022)

You're tomatoes are huge. You say add Nitrogen, Phosphate and potassium separately. What's your source of each?


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## jakethesnake (Jul 8, 2022)

I use liquid nitrogen. I have a lot on hand. 

I like chicken manure on tomatoes which is pretty jacked in phosphorus. Healthy with nitrogen too. 

I’ll put the manure down before I plant. Like a couple weeks ahead. Or that day if it works that way. Work it in. 

Once they are growing. Say 1ft tall. Liquid nitrogen. Gets them growing pretty fast. I put it in a dawn soap bottle. Make 2-3 circles around the plant. If you put too much they’re dead. They’ll turn very dark green and grow rapidly. The more water you can get to them the better. I treat it like corn

Before blossoms start to set I’ll hit them with 0 0 30. Like 2 handfuls at the base. 

I’ve yielded over 70 tomatoes per plant. Obviously I’m playing around trying to get as many as possible. My garden buddies like to talk trash so it becomes a game for me.


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## jakethesnake (Jul 8, 2022)

This hangs over my garden so actually they do get a little nitrogen over the top too. That’s more accidental but they seem to respond well
To it. I’ll try to remember to snap a picture next time it’s on Roughly 2 inches of water a week


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## stillhunter (Jul 18, 2022)

My maters .......


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## jakethesnake (Jul 18, 2022)

stillhunter said:


> My maters .......View attachment 1003929
> View attachment 1003930
> View attachment 1003931
> View attachment 1003932


Nice! Oh love the yota pickup. I have a 91 drive almost daily. Rebuilt the engine and put a new transmission in mine this year


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## jakethesnake (Jul 18, 2022)

My maters got banged up by a hail storm pretty bad. They won’t be very pretty this year. I’ll toss a picture up


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## jakethesnake (Jul 18, 2022)

Some of my corn


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## stillhunter (Jul 18, 2022)

jakethesnake said:


> Nice! Oh love the yota pickup. I have a 91 drive almost daily. Rebuilt the engine and put a new transmission in mine this year


I've had that '84 since 85, right now it won't crank. I let it sit too long before running it and the gas/carb are jacked up. I have tons of spare parts, axles, 5 spd trans, T case and boxes of new parts, timing chain kit, oil pump, clutch and disc etc. One day I'll get it back on the road I hope.


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## jakethesnake (Jul 18, 2022)

stillhunter said:


> I've had that '84 since 85, right now it won't crank. I let it sit too long before running it and the gas/carb are jacked up. I have tons of spare parts, axles, 5 spd trans, T case and boxes of new parts, timing chain kit, oil pump, clutch and disc etc. One day I'll get it back on the road I hope.


I love em. Timing chain is what I failed to put in. Cost me a rebuild. Overall I’m happier with it now. Granny went out months later. Lol. Rebuilt with oem parts. Nice little tough truck. 

I went all the way while I was in there. New oil pump new water pump. Oem gaskets. Think she should go a long time


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## jakethesnake (Jul 18, 2022)

Tranny. Not granny. Autocorrect


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## Mad Professor (Jul 18, 2022)

I've got 50 heirloom in the ground, ~10 varieties, I save seeds........ Got late started and been too dry for them to take off yet.

I mulch with hardwood leaves, and stake.

Did do two "early girl" in 5-gal buckets for BLTs......


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## Kanscruzer (Jul 18, 2022)

jakethesnake said:


> Tranny. Not granny. Autocorrect


I was hoping to see pictures of Granny going out . Thanks from all us old dudes.


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## jakethesnake (Jul 18, 2022)

Kanscruzer said:


> I was hoping to see pictures of Granny going out . Thanks from all us old dudes.


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## stillhunter (Jul 20, 2022)

jakethesnake said:


> Tranny. Not granny. Autocorrect


With some soil in the bed I could prolly grow better and more maters! I already have a Pokeweed in it.....next year I'll have a mobile garden if I can get the old running again!




Today's picking....


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