DIY Sturdy Tomato Cages

Although the tomatoes are small now, they will soon be toppling out of those flimsy tomato cages. Get ahead of the problem now with some DIY sturdy tomato cages. They will actually hold the plants up all summer unlike those cheap store bought ones. Do it now and thank me later.

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Brown Thumb to Homegrown Goodies

Growing up I was notorious for my terrible cooking and my brown thumb. I had to keep a plant alive for a class in highschool, so I immediately ran it home to my mom. She kept it alive and I got an A. It wasn’t a lack of experience. My mom and Mama both have beautiful flowers and bountiful gardens. As a kid I would help them plant, water, and pick. As a teenager, I would tend to the garden when my mom wasn’t home.

Something about doing it all by myself was different though. I started some seeds and they died. The night custodian gave me an aloe plant, which died within three months. We bought a lavender plant to put on the porch. Dead. Despite my track record, my husband agreed to build me a raised bed in the backyard. I was determined to make it work this time around, so I did what any 25 year old would do and got to Pinterest.

I measured out my bed and divided it into squares. Then I drew it out on paper labeling each box with a plant. Because I am a type A person, I also colored each box according to how many plants would go in a square foot. It looked pretty on paper, but I still hadn’t successfully grown anything yet.

My husband and I went to several stores and nurseries to get the exact number and types of plants I needed to make my paper garden come to life. After that it was up to me. I wound up with a bounty. We had more tomatoes and herbs than I knew what to do with. Success!

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Save Yourself the Hassle with DIY Sturdy Tomato Cages

I have fought with the flimsy tomato cages that you see at all the big box stores. They work great until sometime in mid June. By that point the tomatoes have outgrown the tiny cages. By July they no longer support the tomatoes and there is a lot of frustration in the garden. I know better than to try the flimsy cages. My mom has a much better tomato cage idea that I am stealing.

She puts in some DIY sturdy tomato cages. They are tall enough to support the plants all summer. The t-posts make them strong enough to actually hold up the plants. Plus they are durable enough that they don’t need to be replaced every year.

How to Build DIY Sturdy Tomato Cages

Supplies

Wire Cutters

Sledge Hammer or Post Driver

Zipties

T-post

36 inch fence stay

Woven field fence

Instructions

Start by cutting the field fence. One end should be closed and the other should have a loose wire. Keep that in mind as you cut each cage. Cut the fence so that there are 10 squares. That means nine are complete and one is missing one side.
Next create a circle with the fence. Use the loose wire to wrap around the horizontal pieces of the fence. This will hold it in a circle.
Lay the wire cylinder you just created down on its side for the next part. Where the two sides meet ues a 36 inch fence stay to keep the two pieces together. It helps to use a screw driver to twist the stay in place. If this is really difficult try spraying the wires of the fence with some WD40. Now the cage should be sturdy enough to hold the tomato plant.
Now drive a t-post near the tomato plant. Set the tomato cage around the plant and next to the t-post. Use zip ties to hold the cage to the post. Now you’re done!

Using the DIY Sturdy Tomato Cages

Plant your tomato starts or seedlings in the middle of the tomato cage. It is much easier to cage them when they are small. Now sit back and let them grow up, so that you can start harvesting some delicious homegrown tomatoes. The wire is large enough that you can reach through to grab the tomatoes, so there’s no need to mess with the cages. It’s a bit of hard work up front to prevent a headache in the future.