When to cage tomatoes & peppers?

BetsyC 5/11/2012, 4:42 pm

Hello new SFG friends! When is the best time to put my tomato cages and pepper cages in my garden? I ordered 'grow bags' for those plants before I even found the concept of SFG so each plant is in it's own bag and they're growing! Do I put them in when the plants are quite small or give them a chance to get larger? My tomatoes are close to 12" high, the peppers a bit smaller. Thank you!

**gwennifer** 5/11/2012, 4:59 pm

Hi Betsy,

I would put the cages on now, so the plants can grow through them. You're less likely to damage anything if you put them on before the plants are needing to be threaded all through it.

When to cage tomatoes & peppers? 61949

acara 5/11/2012, 5:21 pm

Stake (if it's a transplant) & cage them when you start them and train them up to the cage with the stake. You'll avoid damaging both the plant and the root system by doing it at time of planting.

Caging them at planting also gives the cage time to "stick"/settle vs attaching the plant to it as soon as you stick it in the ground.

This is particularly important with tom's, since the stems are the most sensitive/fragile part of the plants.

Peppers are less fragile, but I still stake them at time I add them to the box.

Unmutual 5/11/2012, 5:28 pm

Yep, cage them when you plant them. If you wait, it won't be pretty. Even with the type of cage I use(3 poles with connectors that snap on), waiting still gets me in trouble.

**camprn** 5/11/2012, 5:37 pm

Unmutual wrote:Yep, cage them when you plant them. If you wait, it won't be pretty. Even with the type of cage I use(3 poles with connectors that snap on), waiting still gets me in trouble.

+1

Stakes for the peppers, set up the Florida weave supports and the overhead trellis for the tomatoes when I transplant the wee things.

quiltbea 5/11/2012, 6:47 pm

I cage or stake mine as soon as I transplant them so I don't disturb any roots later.

Debora Cadene 5/11/2012, 6:54 pm

Do peppers have to be staked for stability in case the wind picks up, or are they ok on their own?

quiltbea 5/11/2012, 7:44 pm

Mine have usually done fine without staking. They like to rub shoulders with other peppers so having a few in adjoining squares will help. If you get one that gets really tall and needs support, stick one of those metal flower supports with the circle at the top beside it or a couple of bamboo stakes to hold it steady. As a rule, they are pretty sturdy alone.

BetsyC 5/11/2012, 8:24 pm

Thank you, everyone! Tomorrow I am going to cage them all. It's too dark right now lol. I am skeered of slugs! bounce

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