Cage Tomatoes

Tomato cages are cylindrical devices roughly 3 feet (91 cm) high.

Professional tomato growers and home gardeners use cages to provide support for growing tomato plants and to keep them from sagging or rotting in the dirt.

Tomato cages can be used for any variety of tomato plant that is producing fruit.

Cages make it easier to spray plants for bugs and to harvest.

They help reduce sunburned, bruised or cracked tomatoes. Caging tomatoes involves prepping the soil, inserting a stake and enclosing the tomato plant in a cage.

Here are some tips for how to cage tomatoes.

Steps

 * 1) Buy tomato cages at your local garden center.
 * 2) * You can also use last year's cages again.
 * 3) * Tomato cages can be metal, wooden or plastic. Metal cages hold up better against the elements but can be prone to rust. Garden shops and home improvement centers sell tomato cages in all 3 varieties.
 * 4) * Check previously-used metal cages for rust. Tomato cages can be reused every year, but metal cages can rust due to rain and the elements. Check each tomato cage for rust and broken wires. Replace any faulty or rusty cages to avoid scrapes or cuts when gardening.
 * 5) Water plants before caging.
 * 6) * Plan to cage tomatoes after a regular watering. This will soften the soil and make it easier to push the cages into the dirt. Watering will also revive any drooping or wilting tomato plants, making it easier for you to install the cage around the plant.
 * 7) Position a stake next to each plant. The stake will help support the weight of the plant and direct its growth upwards.
 * 8) * Use 1 wooden garden stake per tomato plant. Space the stake about 2 inches from the main trunk or base of the plant to avoid hitting its roots.
 * 9) Use a hammer or mallet to pound the stake into the dirt. Pound it down 2 to 3 inches so it's stable. Be sure to hold the stake straight while you pound it into the ground.
 * 10) * To support heavier plants, anchor them to the stake. Tie a piece of coated wire or twine around the base of the plant and the stake. This will keep the plant from breaking under the weight of the fruit and help it climb up the cage.
 * 11) Center the cage over the tomato plant and the stake.
 * 12) * Hold the tomato cage above the plant and stake. Center it so that they are in the middle of the cage. Lower the cage down slowly over the plant, being careful not to impale any leaves or tomatoes.
 * 13) Push the cage into the ground.
 * 14) * Push the cage down with both hands or use the hammer to pound the wire anchors of the cage into the ground. The wire anchors should be completely anchored into the dirt so the bottom rung of the tomato cage is even with the base of the tomato plant.
 * 15) Test the cage's stability.
 * 16) * Place a hand on either side of the top of the cage and try to move it. It's stable if it holds in place and the plant doesn't move. Pound it down into the ground another inch if the cage shifts when force is applied.
 * 17) Arrange the tomato plant around the cage.
 * 18) * Position the plant's branches so that they are over the rungs of the tomato cage and being supported by the structure. This encourages the plant to continue using the cage for support.
 * 19) Use the cage throughout the tomato season. Remove it when the plant stops producing fruit.
 * 20) * Check the plant inside the cage frequently and adjust branches if needed to help it support its weight on the cage. Prune plants and harvest tomatoes through the open sides of the cage.
 * 21) * When the plant is done producing tomatoes, pull the cage out of the ground, wash it off to remove dirt or bugs and store it for the winter.

Things You'll Need

 * Tomato plants
 * Tomato cages
 * Water
 * Wooden stakes
 * Twine or coated wire
 * Hammer or mallet

Related Tips and Steps

 * Stake Tomato Plants
 * Grow Tomatoes Upside Down
 * Grow Tomatoes in a Greenhouse
 * Prune Tomatoes
 * Ripen Harvested Green Tomatoes

Sources and Citations

 * msucares.com/lawn/garden/vegetables/tomatoes/index.html
 * http://lubbock.tamu.edu/horticulture/docs/TomatoesC-T.html
 * http://www.ourgardengang.com/Tomatoes2.htm