Are tomato cages worth it?
You do not need tomato cages. This is not a popular opinion, but it is true. Tomato cages are one of the most challenging things in the garden and I set out a few years ago to learn new ways to support and encourage my tomatoes’ growth through the seasons without the use of a tomato cage.
What can I use instead of a tomato cage?
Stakes. Staking methods, both traditional and nontraditional, are also alternatives to tomato cages. The most common method uses 6- to 8-foot posts, usually made of metal or bamboo, set 2 to 3 feet apart.
What is the best size for a tomato cage?
Cages should be 14-18 inches in diameter with a height of 4 feet for determinate plants and at least 6 feet for indeterminate. Sturdy cages may be expensive to purchase, but can be constructed by hand using cost-effective livestock fencing or concrete reinforcement wire.
Should I put cages around tomato plants?
Tomato cages allow the plant to grow upwards. The heavy fruiting branches need support, and a bountiful harvest can be ruined with rot or disease if tomatoes are overcrowded, drooping or forming on the ground. Without a cage, the plant can topple over or break completely under its own weight.
Is it better to stake or cage tomatoes?
Staking takes up less space than caging. Simple to install. The vines & tomatoes are up off the ground, resulting in cleaner fruit and less rotting. it is easy to see the tomatoes and easy to harvest.
How do you grow tomatoes without a cage?
Unless your soil is rocky or sandy, it is best to cover the ground with dry mulch (straw, flax or grass trimmings) to keep the fruits away from moisture which would otherwise rot them. You can also lay crates or wooden pallets around the plants for this. The goal is to keep fruits from touching the soil directly.
What happens if you don’t cage tomatoes?
Without some attachment to a stake, fence or cage, most tomato plants will flop onto the ground where slugs and other pests may chew on the leaves and later feast on the fruit. Getting those plants up off the ground also allows air to circulate through the foliage of the plant, helping to prevent disease.
Do tomatoes need tomato cages?
Tomato plants inevitably need support. Their tall and relatively flexible stems cannot stand upright on their own, especially once they’re heavy and laden with fruit! Without staking and the support from a tomato cage or trellis, tomato plants will succumb to their own lankiness and weight.
When should I put cages on tomato plants?
After you first plant your tomato plants, you need to place a tomato cage around it. Setting the cage early will allow the tomato’s roots to grow uninterrupted. Placing the cage in the soil when the plant has matured can damage the tomatoes, the roots and vines.
Do you need one tomato cage per plant?
Get one cage for each tomato plant in the garden. Each tomato plant should have its own cage to grow in.
How to make the ultimate tomato cage?
8 Tomato Cages: 8 full-size tomato cages,each made of a 6′ long section
How do you build a tomato cage?
Buy the lumber for the cage. Visit a hardware or home and garden store to find the raw lumber required to fashion the wooden cages.
How to properly use tomato cages?
Offers Support. As your tomato plant grows and begins to set fruit,the weight can drag the branches to the ground if unsupported.
What is the purpose of tomato cages?
Rupurposing tomato cages in the garden. Giant stacks of tomato cages grace garden center floors every year,supposedly for growing tomatoes.