Tomato baskets/cages

[Anonymous Poster]

If you have a Big Lots store nearby, they've got tomato cages for about $1.00 each. They seem pretty similar in strength to ones I've used before.

 

[OkieG]

Three plants produce as many tomatos as we can eat. The problem is they all ripen in about 2-3 weeks, then they're gone. This year I'm really getting aggressive and planting 6 or 9 plants, staggering them by a few weeks to try and have ripe fruit for a longer period.

I can tell when you talk about 150' of wire, you are leaving my idea of a big tomato crop in the dust. I will probably just buy a few more ready made cages for the few more plants that I buy. Post a picture of what you finally make, so I can see what I'm missing.

OkieG

 

[Egon]

Do you plant determinate or indeterminate tomatoes?

Egon

 

[Schultz]

I did the same thing with left over concrete remesh/fence after making 10 cages. Except I cut it in half so it was only 3' tall & made them in 8' lengths, I also removed the bottom wire so it had the spears as Fishman describes. With a few stakes I use it for my bush type peas and beans. I think you get more yield, there easier to pick and you can walk down the rows easier.

 

[theboman]

Last year I put out 36 tomato plants, and boy howdy we plenty and then some. I gave many to co-workers and even to the folks who work next door. Ain't nothing like a fresh 'mater.
I guess I'll put out about the same amount this year but stagger the planting a wee bit.
It was my first garden and I tend to over due things, but having a big garden is a good problem to have.

 

[Schultz]

36 plants...wow that's alot of tomatoes, especially since you have a longer growing season than I have!

If your making that many cages you'd better get started then. You'll easly be able to use 150'. My favorite cages are the ones that are 2' in diameter. They don't tip over in the wind, you don't have to stay on-top-of the pruning or keeping them in the cage as much. If you use that size it takes 6.2 feet per cage or 226 feet. Or you could make 36 cages at 16" diameter out of 150' roll.

 

[OkieG]

Egon,

It depends on if you ask me...or the tomato plant. Only joking. I don't know what you mean, which shows my lack of gardening knowledge. I have Early Girls planted now, and hope to extend the harvest season by stagger planting a few more plants a few weeks apart. What do you think?

OkieG

 

[Egon]

A DETERMINATE TOMATO produces all its fruit at one time and then thats it.

AN INDERTMINATE TOMATO keeps producing for the entire season.

For household use the inderminate serves our purposes best as there allways tomatoes available.

If you plan on making large quanities of sauce the determinate will work better as all the tomatoes become available in a very short time frame.

For example a sweet 100 cherry type tomato is indeterminate. We've had plants with some branches/stems grow to 15 or more feet in length. All they need is some support. I usually use baler twine that's attached to some far point and then wrap it around the tomato stem or branch as the tomatoe plant grows.

Make sure you have lots of basil planted to go with the tomatoes if you make a fresh sauce or one for keeping.

Arbours also look nice when covered with tomatoe vines.

Try some Tomatilo's, They have a very distictive taste and grow in a husk.

Egon

 

[DFB]

OkieG,

The Early Girls are indeterminate. Kinda on the smaller side as tomatoes go. Average less than a half pound. Mostly 4-6 oz in weight. Making a second planting a few weeks later is what many growers do.

How about a different variety as a season extender? Maybe a larger, longer ripening type of tomato .

DFB

 

[OkieG]

I will look for Tomatilos. Do they work well in sauce? I need to look for some basil, too.

OkieG