Tomatoe cages

[rumeye]

To cage or not this is the question. I have always caged mine but it seems like I have to do alot of tying up vines later on. I have small and med cages don't have any of the monsters but I think you still end up tying vines up so they don't break. I am pretty religious about keeping the plant up in the cage as it's growing. My neighbor just lets his grow and fall over on the ground which he uses straw around his plants so they are not laying on the dirt. His do extremely well. What do you guys do? I also use some tall stakes when they get really big. Just trying to save some work later on. Deer flies are hidious in the garden in mid July so try not spend to much time in there then. Sorry this is long winded.

[Steak]

Buy the heaviest cages you can find, and you won't be disappointed. I wouldn't waste time with the real thin wire cages, because they collapse easily. All we use are the "heavy duty" cages.

[Nainoa]

To cage or not this is the question. I have always caged mine but it seems like I have to do alot of tying up vines later on. I have small and med cages don't have any of the monsters but I think you still end up tying vines up so they don't break. I am pretty religious about keeping the plant up in the cage as it's growing. My neighbor just lets his grow and fall over on the ground which he uses straw around his plants so they are not laying on the dirt. His do extremely well. What do you guys do? I also use some tall stakes when they get really big. Just trying to save some work later on. Deer flies are hidious in the garden in mid July so try not spend to much time in there then. Sorry this is long winded.

I grow 40-60 tomato plants a year... And in my mind the cages are just for that first 4-6 (Maybe 8 weeks) After that they're just a guide for the lower branches.

I stake or Florida weave everything from the 4th of July on.

[rumeye]

What's a Florida weave? And do you remove the cages when you start staking?

[Nainoa]

What's a Florida weave? And do you remove the cages when you start staking?

Yep the cages go in when I plant them and I don't take them out till I'm pulling the roots in October.

Florida weave is best to do some googling for pics... But basically for indeterminate tomatoes, I stake every one and then weave alternating line/twine between them as they grow upward.

Last year I had a Black Cherry get to 8'10" and all heck broke loose when he reached out and started playing with the Brandywines... So there is a certain upward limit where I just have to "Get Creative" with twine!

[croixflats]

For cages I'll be using fixed knot woven wire fencing 10 horizontal line wires (smaller spacing at the bottom), 60" height, 6" between vertical wires. I have some left over from a job and plan on cutting sections and rolling them and tying them into cages then staking them to the ground.

I did the florida weave last year and it worked out great . But this year I am going to try the earthtainer or global bucket system along with planting in the ground so they are going to be spread out all over the yard.

[Nainoa]

For cages I'll be using fixed knot woven wire fencing 10 horizontal line wires (smaller spacing at the bottom), 60" height, 6" between vertical wires. I have some left over from a job and plan on cutting sections and rolling them and tying them into cages then staking them to the ground.

I did the florida weave last year and it worked out great . But this year I am going to try the earthtainer or global bucket system along with planting in the ground so they are going to be spread out all over the yard.

I've always been curious to try the Earthtainer... Keep us updated!

[croixflats]

Sure will update. My yard is inundated with fungus in the ground and hopefully I can get tomatoes to last through late season with the earthtainer.I'll gain more room in the garden for other stuff that the fungus does not effect.

[KEN W]

I have always used cages.But they get top heavy and sometimes the wind blows them over even if they are staked down.This year I am going to try the Florida Weave with all my inderminates......

http://www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/weave.html