Binkalette
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Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:53 pm
Location: Minnesota - zone 4a

Barnesville man invents new tomato supports

It's a neat idea, but I think I'd rather build one myself than buy one, and I would want another little beam across the sides to keep the vines from falling out that way.

article with more pictures:

https://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/285842/

[img]https://www.inforum.com/media/full/jpg/2010/07/23/0724ftomatocradle32.jpg[/img]

gumbo2176
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Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

They appear to not offer much support past 5-6 weeks or so. I used 6 ft. tall pieces of 2X2 driven about 1 foot into the ground and had my tomato plants growing past them before they were done for the season.

Next time, I'm going to get some 10 gauge concrete reinforcing mesh measuring 5 ft. tall x 150 ft. long and cutting it off the roll in 6 foot lengths, wiring it together to form about a 2 ft. circle and using that for tomato cages. The mesh has 6x6 inch openings which give lots of room to pick suckers and tomatoes off the bushes. I called a local supplier and can get a roll of mesh 5 ft. by 150 ft. for $83 + tax. That is enough wire to give me 25 heavy duty cages that will last for many years to come.

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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

I like things that are easy to put in the garden and easy to take away when garden season is over.

I have tried 2 wire fences side by side they work great but are very hard to deal with they pretty much need to stay in the garden all the time.

I have tried twine and ropes they work great too. You put a fence post at each end of the row then run 2 ropes between the posts 1 at the top the other at the ground. Tie twine between each rope at each tomato. When the tomatoes grow taller give the twine a twist around each plant. The plants grow up the cork screw twisted twine. I really love this it works great but I never liked the fence posts permently placed at the end of all the rows. I either have to plant tomatoes in the same place very year or I have to move all the posts.

Now I am using tomato cages. They have to be staked so the cages do not fall over. Easy to move and put back each year. Easy to store at the end of garden season.

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gixxerific
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Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

That seems more gimmicky than functional to me. I'll stick with the CRW cages myself.

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engineeredgarden
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Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 11:51 am
Location: NW Alabama

It's a poor design, and there's no way I'd bother with it.

EG

tedln
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Location: North Texas

I think the design is okay for low growing plants. My tomatoes grow in excess of 8' tall.

I do like the design, but they would need to be taller. I would also use a material that would last longer than cheap wood which will rot quickly when exposed to water and mud in the garden.

Ted

Thomas CA
Full Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 4:00 pm
Location: San Pedro, CA

I think I can see an HT stamp in that pic. Looks like it was made with a pallet, as the HT means heat treated. Not the best thing to put in a garden of edible.

Doesn't look difficult to build. Almost reminds me of the foldable tables I used to eat dinner on as a kid.

petalfuzz
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Joined: Sat May 31, 2008 3:37 pm

Yeah, that's way too short!

I use 6' tall bamboo stakes, they shrink to 5' once they're in the ground and my plants grow taller than that still. I like being able to "baby" my vines when I tie each branch to the stake by hand, rather than letting them sag inside of cages. It's healthier in my hot/humid climate also. Plus the stakes are super easy to store when I'm done for the year!



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