You’d be much better off with a sturdy, cylindrical shape tomato cage that offers decent support from the ground up. If the cage snaps, then you’ve wasted your money for no good reason, and your precious tomato vine might just break along with it.Īnother reason that cone-shaped cages aren’t the best choice is that they offer less support at the base, exactly where it is needed. Why does this matter? Well, it needs to be able to support the weight of the plant as it grows fully. (Probably don’t test this out in the garden center, or the manager won’t be too impressed.) They might be cheap, but you’ll notice you can snap the wire with just a small amount of effort. These are the light-duty, cone-shape cages that are available from pretty much every garden center. The most common type of tomato cage is actually the last one you want to be buying! Remember that you will sink a good eight inches of your tomato cage into the ground for stability, and that should be accounted for when considering the dimensions you choose. If you choose a tomato cage that isn’t tall enough, your plant is going to spill over the top, and the vines might snap under their own weight. Some tomato varieties can grow up to 10 ft tall so it’s important your cages can support such a tall plant. Once you’ve established that you’re growing a determinate variety, it’s time to think about size. Here are 38 interesting and creative ideas. You could also use stakes instead of a cage, but they don’t offer the same level of support.Īside from stakes and cages, there are also many other ideas for supporting your tomato plants. If you are growing a vine variety (indeterminate), you would be much better off with a trellis. Tomato cages offer brilliant support for bush varieties (determinates), which stop growing after reaching a certain size. Without this support, they are more vulnerable to pests, and the stems can snap under the weight of the plant.īefore going ahead and investing in some tomato cages, you need to make sure they are suitable for the variety you are growing. Work Out If You Really Need ItĪ cage provides the structure that some tomatoes need to thrive. 6 Tips For Using A Tomato Cage Properly 1. You will also need to do some pruning as you go along, but I’ll give you some quick pointers on that in the next section. You will have to keep tying more vines as the plant grows. Smaller vines can be encouraged to grip the cage, whilst heavier ones can be loosely tied with garden twine. Support the vines by gently pulling them through the cage squares. (Exactly how much will depend on the variety.) 4. Make sure you leave plenty of space between plants. In the ground, you can make sure the cage is deep enough by shaking it and ensuring there’s no wiggle. In a container, this means adding the soil around the cage and patting it down firmly. Either way, your seedling should sit in the center of the cage. If you’re using a cage directly in the ground, push it firmly into the soil to a depth of around 8 inches. Set the legs in your container so they touch the bottom. Here are the 4 key steps you need to know. How To Use A Tomato Cage (Step-By-Step)ĭon’t worry, using a tomato cage is pretty simple. So, if you want to avoid killing your tomatoes with kindness, this article will tell you everything you need to know. Many well-meaning people end up doing more harm than good when it comes to cages, so it’s worth doing a little bit of research in advance. Tomato cages are a brilliant way to support your plants, but only if you’re using them properly.
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