วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 21 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2554

How to Find and Make Cages and Trellises For Staking Tomatoes

Tomato plants come in all shapes and sizes and most plants require support of some kind. For some tomato varieties a simple 4ft wooden stake will provide enough support. For the larger plants you will need something more substantial. We will look at the other two common structures that you can stake tomatoes of the larger varieties with - Cages and Trellises. Discover what is available in the marketplace and also how you can make your own if you have the practical means.
Tomato Cages
Tomato cages work especially well for plant varieties that branch out sideways like cherry tomatoes. A cage is a mesh structure that is secured to the ground and as the plant grows the gardener will thread the branches through the mesh. We'll now take a look at some of the cages you can buy. Cages can range in price from $10-$60 depending on the model. If you have a smaller plant in the 5ft range one of the most cost-effective cages on the market is the Woodstream TMC60 Ultomato Tomato Cage. It is a simple 5ft tall triangular structure with 3 support beams. It is very sturdy, costs under $10 and has excellent feedback from growers who have used it.
You can also make your own tomato cage from concrete reinforcing wire which you can purchase from building suppliers. One advantage of making your own cages is you can design them to fit the size of you plant exactly. Also there are a larger number of mesh holes compared to most commercial cages which gives you the option to tightly "weave" your plant. Be sure to wear gloves when working with the wire. Cut a length of mesh to fit your plant - you will be wrapping it around to create a circular structure. Once cut, remove the vertical bars of one edge of the mesh and use the leftover horizontal bars to tie the two ends together using pliers. Secure the mesh in the ground around your plant and you have a very quick and effective homemade tomato support.
Tomato Trellises
Trellises come in several styles and are typically a frame structure which contain a secondary support structure. Most trellises either use a mesh structure to actually support the tomatoes or they support a string from a height which the plant is then trained up. A good cheaper trellis option are the expandable wooden trellises that are designed to be put up against a fence or wall - you can purchase these for around $20. The only drawback is they can't work unless there is a fixed structure for them to be set against. A commercial freestanding trellis will set you back between $60 and &150 so you might want to consider making your own.
You can make a simple A-frame trellis by lashing together together 2 sets of 2 8ft wooden poles together with a support pole connecting the two A-frames at the top. You can then suspend a string or wire down from the support pole to train your plants up. You can add more A-frames depending on the size of your vegetable patch.

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