Tomato cage system question

[jcrous]

Hi,
I have been searching for quite some time for the perfect tomato staking system.
I have tried poles, and single wire growing systems as well as a flat grid aginst which the tomatoes are braided. On these systems you have to prune some side shoots out otherwise the plant will get too wide.

I have not yet tried a tomato cage yet.
I have looked at the following three types:

EZ tomato cage:
https://www.eztomatocage.com/index.html


Tomato Ring:
https://www.veggiecage.com/tomato-ring-p ... t-s/12.htm

A homemade system:
https://lauravanderbeek.blogspot.com/201 ... -long.html


The tomato ring is adjustable (up and down but not side ways. All three appears to be working equally well.
I have just one question: do yoy let it grow as it wants or do you prune some side shoots to make it fit inside the system? My logic say that all three will work well if you only let sya 3 - 4 shoots grow up. Side shoots from these 3 or foor stems should be removed or it will get too big to fit inside and when too dense growth, fungus growth may start and it will be difficult to harvest.

Which one is the most popular?

[rainbowgardener]

I use tomato cages and I don't do a whole lot of pruning. What I do is plant a row of tomato cages. Then the side shoots from one plant when they get long are just carried over and tied to the next cage over in the row. Same for the ones that come over the top of the cage, which is never tall enough. I prune some branches in the interior of the cage to keep it from getting too crowded and leafy in there and maintain air circulation. When the plant starts getting too big, I start clipping off the growing tips, to keep it from continuing to en-hugen itself.

[gixxerific]

They all seem small but will work if you do some trimming as you stated. I kind of like the middle one for me, I have a ton of stakes that those would work on but again they seem too small. I make my cages out of Concrete reinforcing wire. Those cages work awesome but storing them can be a pain.

Good luck, there is always a stake/cage system with 4 stakes and sting around them, these can be used ina pinch.

[hendi_alex]

Concrete re-enforcing wire is very close to the perfect product for tomato cages. The openings are large enough to provide easy access to tomatoes. The material is inexpensive, yet cages will last at least 10-20 years. The cages can be made almost any height (5 feet being the most common), or can be stacked to give extra height if needed. There are many support systems that work very well. Over the years, I've mostly sunk a post at each end of a row and then pull guide wire from one post, through the top of each cage, and secured to the second post. Then twist tie each cage to the wire to prevent slipping. For the past couple of years, I've mostly switched to using T posts, sinking a single 5-6 foot T post beside the case and then twist tying a couple loops of wire around the cage wire and the T post. The T posts work great, are inexpensive at $4-$5 each and will last a life time. The posts also have lots of secondary uses, so are quite versatile.

I takes a little over an hour to make ten tomato cages cut from a roll of wire which is a stock item at most Lowes.

[imafan26]

I have to second the concrete reinforcing wire cages. They are cheaper and sturdier than the rings. I use the folding tomato cages, but I open them up and use them as a fence for the garden and a short trellis for cucumbers and beans, but I would have to stack the cages for tomatoes and use rebar or bamboo poles to stabilize them. The CRW cages can be made wider so it can support more of the heavier branches. I don't do any pruning unless the branches sticking out of the cage are in my way. I have 5ft wire but it also comes in 7 ft. I still have tomatoes growing over the top of the cage. I use my cages year round, so there isn't a storage issue.

I do store the folding tomato cages when not in use. If you do not get the heavy folding cages or use the folding hoops they have the same problem. They are connected by small welded joints and they break. They are short so they are fine for bush beans and cucumbers but most tomatoes will easily top them unless the cages are stacked. The square cages are easier to stack than the hoops, but they still will need poles to support the cages.

I have never had a CRW wire cage break.

https://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/prod ... ck-p45.htm

[jcrous]

I have done some enquiries today and I have visted our building supplies.
They have two sheets of rebar mesh, with a 200 mm (8 inch) grid. The sheets come in sizes 6 m (240 inch) by 2.4 m (96 inch). It comes in two thicknesses: 6 mm (1/4 inch) and 4mm straight walled rod (3/16). The thinner one is also Spring steel.

The height space in my Shade house provides for only 1.8 m (6 feet) high cages and the space of the raised beds in width is 1.26 meters. I therefore can only make square cages of 400 mm x 400 mm or (16 inch x 16 inch). In a bed I can exactly fit 3 in a row.

Providing for the spaces in between (that I will lost due to cutting) I will manage to make 24 panels of 1800 X 400 mm. That will give me exctly 6 cages per sheet. I will galvanise the panels and make hinges from thick wire rings to make it in the shape of a M when folded. This will last a lifetime. I will post pic in the future when completed.

[Juliuskitty]

How do you do a galvanization?

[jcrous]

I take the items to a local hot dip galvanising company. I pay by weight. They first submerge the item into acid to clean the rust and then submerge it into a bath of molten zinc. When taken out it is covered all over with a very thin layer of zinc, preventing it from rust for up to 50 years. Very economical and not so expensive.
I have also done my safety gates and they withstand rainy weather completely.
When it comes back everything is shiny and appears professionally done, even if it is homemade.

[Juliuskitty]

So cool! Thank you for teaching me that today. I am going to see if they have that available in So Fla.

[applestar]

I know! I was curious too and found this : https://www.galvanizeit.org/about-aga/ga ... -locations

[jcrous]

Yes, this is what I was talking about. The kettles (we call it baths) are huge. The elictricity consumption must be very high.
They can do very large gates. the first submerge one half and then turn it around to do the other half.
Everything don by hot dip galv wil last a lifetime.
I have even galvanised my wheelbarrow pan, and next will be the wheel rim and the frame.