Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

bripow(MI) 5/30/2010, 3:06 pm

I will be planting my first SFG tomorrow morning. I know many (including the instructions the SFG book) recommend putting a vertical vine support on one of the ends of your SFG. Due to Deer in the woods behind my house I think its best for me to put my tomato's in the center squares so they can't be reached by the deer.
From what I am told the thin cage supports you get at the store for a couple bucks don't hold up very well.
Anyone have recommendations for building my own, durable and cost-effect vine supports for my tomato, cucumber, eggplant, pepper plants, etc., keeping in mind they will be on the center squares and not squares that are on the edge of the bed walls.
Thanks,
Brian

chocolatepop 5/30/2010, 3:13 pm

Humm, from my experience if you have issues with deer, they still will step IN your garden to get to what they want. Also, if you have vining maters, they can get quite tall... like last year mine were about 6ft tall before I started to trellis them sideways.

You can get those ulimate tomatoe type cages. I havent had any issue with the metal cheap sports, but I know that home depot has the same kind but powder coated in colors. How big are you beds?

You could do horizontal supports. I KNOW there is a thread talking about them. Basically you spread your netting horizontally and the plant grow through them.

You may also get some shadowing of items.

But an interesting predicament. Have you tough of making a fence out of cattle panels or similar fencing around the whole perimeter?

**camprn** 5/30/2010, 3:15 pm

When I was a kid my dad made tomato and compost cages out of sheep fencing like the ones seen at this link.

This trellis looks pretty nifty. I may try something like this.

bripow(MI) 5/30/2010, 3:27 pm

I will have a perimeter fence around the outside of my gardens. I figured it would be best to put low growth plants along the outside and the higher growing plants like tomatoes etc on the inside so the deer couldn't reach them when standing at the fence.

chocolatepop wrote:Humm, from my experience if you have issues with deer, they still will step IN your garden to get to what they want.

chocolatepop 5/30/2010, 3:30 pm

Good plan. How big of an area do you have to work with? Like, can you put a few foot perimeter around you garden and THEN build your fence? They have cattle panels (16ftx 50in) on sale at TSC until tomorrow for $19.

bripow(MI) 5/30/2010, 3:30 pm

I thought about those but the run $9 a piece at Lowes. Do I need one for each square or can I put an Ultimato at the adjoing section of say 4 squares and grow 4 different plants up 1 Ultimato?
I assumed I would need one for each square but if not then they are a viable option.

I have 2 - 4'x4' SFG's.

chocolatepop wrote:
You can get those ulimate tomatoe type cages. I havent had any issue with the metal cheap sports, but I know that home depot has the same kind but powder coated in colors. How big are you beds?

bripow(MI) 5/30/2010, 3:32 pm

Yes I can put the fence a few feet outside the perimeter of each SFG, good idea. Thanks for the tip on the cattle fencing. We have a TSC right up the road. I will check it out tomorrow.

chocolatepop wrote:Good plan. How big of an area do you have to work with? Like, can you put a few foot perimeter around you garden and THEN build your fence? They have cattle panels (16ftx 50in) on sale at TSC until tomorrow for $19.

quiltbea 5/30/2010, 8:45 pm

I bought some concrete reinforcing wire from building supply. It has 6" openings and its strong. They cut it the size I needed. I plan to form them into cylinders for my cucumber towers this year to support their growing vertically.
They would be great for tomatoes as well, but I use the 'twine between fence posts' method for my tomatoes.
I'll post pictures when I get them up in a week.

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Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

Re: Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

Tomato trellis & cage, but it wont keep out deer

Re: Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

Re: Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

Re: Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

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Re: Cage Supports for Tomato Plants

Re: Cage Supports for Tomato Plants


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