Tomato Cages

It’s about this time of year when gardeners begin to get excited about growing tomatoes. Regardless of whether the tomatoes you grow will be used in sauce, salads, or soups, the plants will require proper support. Let’s talk about some options for tomato cages!

There are as many designs and material options for tomato cages as preferences for their use. Here are some things to consider about materials:

Wood
Wooden cages can be built or purchased and are relatively inexpensive, but the wood will eventually rot so you may get fewer years of use from this type of support.

Wire
Supports made of wire will last longer than wood, but sometimes they aren’t strong enough to support larger, indeterminate varieties of tomatoes.

PVC
PVC works well but sometimes takes longer to put together and the sun will eventually weaken them. Additionally, these cages tend to be bigger and bulkier.

Heavier Gauge Metal
Concrete reinforcing mesh is made of stronger metal that will last many years and you can make them very tall to accommodate tomato plants that reach for the stars. But making cages out of this material is more difficult and expensive.

Once you determine the material you prefer, it’s good to consider the design elements of your tomato cage. Pruning and harvesting your tomatoes will require spaces for reaching through with your hands or tools, so make sure your cage accommodates that. The bottom of the cage needs to be open enough to allow for easy weeding and watering. It’s also good to consider where and how you will store your tomato cages over winter. Collapsible options are convenient, but sometimes weaker than cages that take up more space and weigh more.

Once you have determined what design and material you want to use, numerous websites will give you detailed instructions on building your tomato cages and the pros and cons of the multitude of designs available.

One thing is certain, you will need to support your tomatoes to get a healthier and more abundant harvest. Enjoy!

Tomato Types

 What is Determinate or Indeterminate tomato seeds?

Determinate tomatoes are varieties that grow to a fixed mature size and ripen all their fruit in a short

     (image Ida Gold Cherry)
period, usually about 2 weeks. Once this first flush of fruit has ripened, the plant will begin to diminish in vigor and will set little to no new fruit. 

Indeterminate tomato varieties are vining plants that continue growing in length throughout the growing season, which is why you will sometimes see them referred to as "vining" tomatoes, Indeterminate tomato varieties will also continue to set and ripen fruit throughout the growing season, until the plants are killed off by frost.  

Both determinate and indeterminate tomato varieties have their pluses and minuses. It really depends on what you are going to be using the tomatoes for and also, how long is your growing season. If you want a thick tomato for making sauces, you are better off with a paste tomato and those tend to be determinate.

If you tend to eat your tomatoes fresh and want a season-long supply, go for indeterminate varieties.

An heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato) is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) heirloom cultivar

of tomato. Any tomato that is at least fifty years old and is not a hybrid. According to tomato experts, heirloom tomatoes can be classified into four categories: (image Black Brandywine)

• family heirlooms,
• commercial heirlooms,
• mystery heirlooms, and 
• created heirlooms.  

They usually have a shorter shelf life and less disease resistance than hybrids bred to resist against specific diseases. They are grown for a variety of reasons, such as for food, historical interest, access to wider varieties, and by people who wish to save seeds from year to year, as well as for their taste. "Heirloom Tomatoes". Spiritfoods. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2012. 

When the plants of an open-pollinated variety self-pollinate, or pollinated by another representative of the same variety, the resulting seeds will produce plants roughly identical to their parents.

 Hybrid tomato – A tomato bred by crossing varieties. Hybrids offer better disease resistance, higher

yield, and other improved traits.

Early variety – A tomato that matures in 50 to 60 days; these are prized for early harvests and late summer planting for a fall crop. Sometimes we refer to tomatoes that mature in more than 60 days as “early,” but only in comparison to their peers. For example, the earliest beefsteak type is only early compared to other beefsteaks. Beefsteaks are typically longer maturing than other tomato types because they are so big! 

Tomato Disease Resistance Codes 

Tomato names are often followed by capital letters that stand for resistance to certain diseases. This is very important because these diseases can wipe out a tomato crop. 

HIKE UP YOUR BIG BOYS! Tomato Cages

There are as many designs of tomato cages as there are preferences to their use. There is a variety of materials to use for tomato cages, as well. You need to consider what you want out of your tomato supports. How long do you want them to last? Wooden crates can be built or purchased and are relatively inexpensive but the wood will eventually rot so you may get fewer years of use from this type of support. Wire supports will last longer but sometimes they aren’t strong enough to support large tomato plants. PVC works well but sometimes take longer to put together and the sun will eventually weaken them. You also have to consider where you will store the cages when they aren’t being used. 

• How much room do you have? 
• Can the cage be dismantled so it will store in a smaller spot?

Now you need to consider design:

•  How easy will it be to prune and harvest your tomatoes in the cage you use? 
• Do you need the bottom open to allow for easy weeding and watering? 
• Do you need the top more open to make harvesting your ripe tomatoes easier?

Once you have determined what design and material you want to use, there are numerous sites that will give you detailed instructions on building your tomato cages and pros and cons of the multitude of designs available. 

One thing is certain, you will need to support your tomatoes to get a healthier and more abundant harvest. Enjoy!