Tomato Cages

Nothing coming out of the garden tastes better than a vine-ripened tomato. Supermarket tomatoes are usually genetically-engineered to be red and bounce off a wall without bruising so only heavy salting will get a taste – and you know what that does to your body.
Raising tomatoes is not hard if you have a sunny area. Like many vegetables (actually tomatoes are a fruit) tomatoes have to be staked to support the fruit. This is usually achieved with sticks but tomato cages have taken over as an easy support. Stackable and easy to put in and take tomato cages make raising tomatoes a snap.

However, many gardeners feel that tomato cages are flimsy and too expensive for what they do. So here are some suggestions:

Wire Mesh: Using a 6×6-inch wire mesh is great for cages to support tomatoes because it is cheap and easy to install. You can also use plastic sheeting to make make small greenhouses for the fall when it begins to get frosty. Just cut the mesh into 3.5′ lengths as you can always short the cage by rolling one end inside the other. The weight of the tomatoes will hold it in place.

Wood Ladders: This is an ingenious way to support big plants. Build two 4′ ladders out of scrap strapping and use an old door hinge at the top. They fold out like a step ladder and two ropes or chains on each side prevent them from folding out to far and as extra supports for the plant. The tomato plant will get support in the rungs and the side supports, which can also be strapping.

Upside Down Tomato Planters: For those who do not have the available space you can plant the tomato in a plastic bucket. First cut a hole in the bottom and put in a coffee filter. Fill 3/4 of the way with soil and plant the tomato. Now cut a hole in the lid so that the plant sticks through. The bucket is then flip over and hung from the eave of a balcony and is watered from the bottom. The inverted plant will support the fruit.

Or you can plant them the old fashioned way using sticks and tie-downs.