Tomato Support/Cages for Containers?

[TZ -OH6]

Just tie the stakes to the side of the cage so it can't tip. any material can be used (twine, wire, cable ties, duct tape etc). I would probably make the stakes at least half the height of the cage and tie them off to the cage towards the top of the stakes. The arrangement should be fairly stable and not really NEED to be tied together.

[Imperialboy]

Alright. Then if I need I can flip over another cafe to add height.

[tedln]

When I grew tomatoes in containers, I always used plastic pots because they don't lose as much moisture through the walls as clay pots. With plastic pots, I drilled four holes, evenly spaced, near the top edge around the pot. I would bend the tips of each tomato cage leg up to prevent it punching through the bottom of the pot and sit it into the pot bending the legs outward to contact the sides of the pot. I would then attach four wires to the lowest rung or ring on the cage and insert the opposite end of the wires through the four holes. I put a round metal washer on each wire pulling the wires tightly until the cage was perfectly vertical in the center of the pot. The washers prevent the wires from pulling back through the holes. I then filled my pots with soil.

With the clay pots, I would measure the bottom of the pot and cut a ring out of metal or thick plastic that fits snugly in the bottom of the pot. I would then drill four, evenly spaced holes into the ring near the outer edge and insert the legs of a tomato cage into the holes. After insertion, I would bend each leg over about one inch below the ring. Insert the ring with the cage legs attached and fill the pot with soil. The weight of the soil on top of the ring should prevent the legs from pulling out.

If my tomatoes would grow tall, I often inverted a second tomato cage onto the top of the first tomato cage and wired it in place. By doing that, I usually had enough height to grow cucumbers in the same pots with my tomatoes.

Good Luck

Ted

[Imperialboy]

When I grew tomatoes in containers, I always used plastic pots because they don't lose as much moisture through the walls as clay pots. With plastic pots, I drilled four holes, evenly spaced, near the top edge around the pot. I would bend the tips of each tomato cage leg up to prevent it punching through the bottom of the pot and sit it into the pot bending the legs outward to contact the sides of the pot. I would then attach four wires to the lowest rung or ring on the cage and insert the opposite end of the wires through the four holes. I put a round metal washer on each wire pulling the wires tightly until the cage was perfectly vertical in the center of the pot. The washers prevent the wires from pulling back through the holes. I then filled my pots with soil.

With the clay pots, I would measure the bottom of the pot and cut a ring out of metal or thick plastic that fits snugly in the bottom of the pot. I would then drill four, evenly spaced holes into the ring near the outer edge and insert the legs of a tomato cage into the holes. After insertion, I would bend each leg over about one inch below the ring. Insert the ring with the cage legs attached and fill the pot with soil. The weight of the soil on top of the ring should prevent the legs from pulling out.

If my tomatoes would grow tall, I often inverted a second tomato cage onto the top of the first tomato cage and wired it in place. By doing that, I usually had enough height to grow cucumbers in the same pots with my tomatoes.

Good Luck

Ted

Thanks Ted!
Any photos for how you drill? Might need a small visual example.

[tedln]

I was a container gardener before we had internet gardening forums. I never took any "how to" photos because I didn't have anyone to show them to. I will try to explain it as well as my limited vocabulary will allow.

I always chose wide pots because they provided a better anchor to prevent them tipping over in high winds when the tomatoes were tall. I typically used fifteen gallon plastic horse feed tubs bought at the local farm and ranch store for about $10.00 each. I would measure across the tub to determine the diameter and then multiply the diameter by pi (22/7) to determine the pot circumference. I would divide the circumference by four to determine the spacing for the four holes. I normally used a 1/8" drill bit in a power hand drill to drill the holes at the spacing marked with a magic marker about one inch below the lip of the pot. I always used stainless steel, electric fencing; wire because it is cheap in rolls (I've had my current roll of wire about ten years and use it for everything in the garden). It will never rust. It is very strong.

I hope that answers your question. If it doesn't, then just keep asking and I will continue answering.

Good luck.

Ted

[Imperialboy]

kk. Think I asked the question wrong. Spacing the holes I understand.
With the wires I don't get it with the bending goes through and such. And is this with the $2-3 tomato cages or rolls of CRW ?

[Imperialboy]

kk. Think I asked the question wrong. Spacing the holes I understand.
With the wires I don't get it with the bending goes through and such.
If it's electric fencing what size should I buy or look for?

[DoubleDogFarm]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Topbmp-2.jpg[/img]


Ted, Is this what you are talking about?

Eric

[tedln]

That is the idea Eric. Thank you! I don't think the electric fence wire comes in different sizes. It's real thin wire, probably 1/32" thick. It doesn't have to be thick because it is the electrical shock that keeps the cattle inside the fence, not the thickness or strength of the wire.

The farmers in Africa use the same wire to fence in their crops to keep the wild animals out of the farm. Elephants have learned to pick one member of the herd and push that unlucky member through the fence and then they can all go in and munch away on the farmers crop.

Ted

[tedln]

Imperialboy,

I'm not an artist so I can't give you a drawing like Eric provided so I will try to describe it.

Clay Pots with ring in the bottom.

Imagine drilling three or four holes in the ring (depending on how many legs the cages have) evenly spaced. Drill the holes large enough for the legs to go through and extend through the holes about 1". Bend each leg extension into an L shape below the ring to prevent the legs from pulling out of the drilled holes.

If the clay pots are small and possibly will not have enough soil to hold the rings down in the bottom, you can also use a masonry drill bit and drill a few extra drain holes in bottom of the pot. Place a cage leg through each hole and place a large flat washer over each leg up against the pot. Bend each leg into an L below the washer. The purpose of the washer is to distribute the pressure from each leg over a larger area reducing the possibility of breaking the pot. The pot will then be sitting on top of the bent legs and large washers.

Plastic Pots

Bend each leg of the cage straight up (about 1" long) to form a round shape on the bottom of each leg instead of the sharp point they normally have. If you choose, you can even wrap plastic electrical tape thickly around the bottom of each leg to provide more cushion between the legs and the pot.This prevents the legs from punching through the bottom of the plastic pots as you apply pressure with the tie down wires and weight of the tomato plants. Bend each leg outwards to contact the pot sides at the inside bottom of the pot for stability. A pair of long handled pliers works well because the fencing wire and cage legs are soft metal.

Ted

[Imperialboy]

So then basically. I take the end of the cage (pointy straight wire) bend it upward. Then bring it up the the holes on the top then bend that wire outwards.

So then I stick the cage in the container to the bottom, bend it all the way back to the top holes from the bottom?

I only use plastic pots.

[tedln]

So then basically. I take the end of the cage (pointy straight wire) bend it upward. Then bring it up the the holes on the top then bend that wire outwards.

So then I stick the cage in the container to the bottom, bend it all the way back to the top holes from the bottom?

I only use plastic pots.

No! The cage legs stick down into the soil with the very bottom tips of each leg bent up against itself. Each leg is also bent slightly towards the sides of the pot to widen the stance at the inside bottom of the pot.

It's the same idea of you standing with your legs spread apart providing more stability than if you stand with your feet and legs close together.

Ted

[DoubleDogFarm]

Ted,

Not trying to be rude, just trying to help.

I like simple. I would just drill 3 or 4 holes in the bottom of the plastic container. 3 or 4 depends on how many legs. Just push the legs through, bend each leg to 90 degree and you are done. The 3 or 4 guy-wire may or may not be needed.

I like the disc idea also

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Topbmp-1.jpg[/img]

Eric

[Imperialboy]

Kk. I got the bending idea down.
Thanks.

Eric; Ted had said the holes on the bottom wouldn't work as well as the water would drain through near the bottom.

So with the 4 wires attached to the lowest rung through opposite hole. I just wrap wire around the cage then bring it across to the hole on other side?

I'll photoshop a photo of that later on my other computer

[tedln]

All help appreciated Eric. I don't mind drilling the extra holes in the bottom of the plastic pot. A little extra drainage won't hurt, but I would be concerned with the weight of the pot, soil, and water, sitting on the legs bent at ninety degrees. My concern is the fact that the excess weight could cause the plastic to break above each bent leg. Clay pots with the big washers would work and big washers used on the plastic pots may be enough to distribute the weight protecting the plastic.

Ted

[DoubleDogFarm]

Ted,

I believe 99.5% of the plastic pot would be resting on the ground. The wire is what 1/8" diameter? So not much of a gap. If we are talking the big black nursery puts, they are really tough and flexable.

Eric

[tedln]

Your probably right Eric.

Coincidentally, I was looking at some new large pots at Walmart yesterday for flowers. They have these really large pots that have that Mexican pottery appearance with the rustic stone finish. I picked one up thinking it would weigh about thirty pounds. It actually weighed about 1/2 pound because it was simply a plastic foam pot like the Styrofoam beer coolers with a pretty finish on it. They cost about $25.00 each and don't feel like they could last an entire summer full of soil.

Ted

[Imperialboy]

I just use the typical nursery pots.

[Imperialboy]

So just made this quickly.:

[img]https://i52.tinypic.com/103snd5.jpg[/img]

That's all you do for the bending.
What about for the hole drilling. The arrow shows the last rung to attach the four wires. But I'm lost after that.

[tedln]

I can't think of anything to do after you get the wires attached other than add soil and grow some tomatoes.

You will find it easier to attach the wires to the washers first and then feed each wire through each hole to the bottom or even the second ring on the cage. That allows you to adjust the vertical alignment of the cage as you wrap the wires. Try to attach the wires where a ring and a leg on the cage have a junction. It isn't mandatory, but it does make the connection stronger with less probability of breaking the welds holding the rings together.

Good Luck and happy gardening.

Ted

[Imperialboy]

So then that's all to do? Still don't get the hole drilling and how to attach cage through the holes. Think I'll just give up on it and just use the bending technique.

Still trying to figure out this: [img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a360/SamhainP8/Trellis.jpg[/img]

Or should I just stake it like this?
[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a360/SamhainP8/BucketSupport.jpg[/img]

Instead drill holes on top and bring the wire from the stake, to the side of the container and run it all the way up along the container through the top hole.

Would that stake way be better or the cage?

[tedln]

If you will move the wires to the top of the bucket and attach them to the cage instead of the stake, that is what I am talking about. I don't know any other way to say it, but the wires need to be at the top of the pot instead of the bottom of the pot. Think about a tall radio or television tower with cables (guy wires) attached to it. The cables extend downward from the tower at an angle and are attached to concrete anchors at the bottom. By attaching the wires near the top of the pot and to the cages at an upward angle, you are mimicking the principle of holding a skinny tower up with guy wires.

Eric, with your artistic skills can you make a side view of the pot with the cage in it showing where the wires need to attach through the side of the pot at the top and extend to the cage at an angle serving as guy wires. I don't know any other way to explain it.

Imperialboy, do you understand that no part of the cage should be outside of the pot? The cage, legs included needs to be inside the pot. The wooden stake isn't needed. The only thing extending to the outside of the pot are the wires with the washers attached outside the pot.

I can't think of any other way to say it or explain it. If I had a pot and a cage, I would build one, take some photos, and post them; but I don't.

Ted

[Imperialboy]

Guess it's up to Eric
So then you have wires attached to the the bend at the bottom up through holes at the top?

I'll just wait for Eric..