My flood-delayed garden is limping along, and the tomatoes are finally at the point where they need some support. I’ve used commercial cages in the past but had found them wanting, especially the inverted cone baskets you commonly see. A vigorous and productive tomato plant will overwhelm and take those wimpy things to the ground. A more heavy-duty solution was in order.

These are homemade cages made from concrete reinforcing wire. They’re cheap and easy to make and are sturdy enough to stand up to the toughest tomato plant.

The rewire comes in 6 ft. tall rolls and the wires are spaced every 6”. The six inch squares give ample room for access to pick all but the largest beefsteak tomatoes. If you know someone that works construction, you may be able to get free leftover pieces of rewire. Unroll a section of wire and count off 12 squares. Cut the horizontal wires flush with the next vertical wire leaving horizontal prongs on your cut piece. You will need heavy-duty wire cutters, or bolt cutters as the wire is pretty tough. Cut one full square off the bottom of your piece flush with the horizontal wire, leaving vertical prongs on the bottom which will anchor your finished cage to the ground. Curl the cut piece into a cylinder and bend the horizontal prongs around the opposite vertical wire to hold it together. Voila, you have a tomato cage.

These are also great for large fruited vining plants such as cucumbers, allowing you to grow them in a smaller space and keeping the fruit clean and off the ground. They do rust, but being made of heavy wire they will still last a long time. I have some that are over 10 years old and still holding up. The biggest drawback is storing them for the winter. If you have just a few it’s not a big deal, but I put in as many as 30 tomatoes annually. Fortunately I have a large attic above my garage where I can keep them during the off-season. You can bend them flat, but the repeated flexing of the wire will cause them to break after a few seasons.

Place the cages over your tomatoes, centering the cage on the plant and pushing the prongs into the soil. Cages of this diameter have ample room for growth and space enough for good air circulation. I use 1” strips of old nylon pantyhose 12”-18” long to tie my plants to the cage. The nylon is not biodegradable, but at least it’s one more use for the material before it’s discarded, and it has the advantage of being able to stretch as the plant grows or on windy days which makes it less likely to damage a stem. I tie one end of the strip to the cage, stretch it under and around the stem of the plant tight enough to provide support, and tie it to the opposite side of the cage, leaving the extra to weave back through at a later date.

For another interesting means of supporting your vining plants, see Monkyfister’s post here.

Once your plants are supported, remove any leaves that touch the ground which helps delay the onset of any soil-borne diseases. Cut the leaf flush with the stem from below or the side - cutting down can cause the leaf to strip away down the stem - using a very sharp knife or razor blade. Keep composted tomato debris separate from compost you are using on your vegetables as it can carry diseases. Remove any suckers growing at the leaf joints on the lower leaves as these are rarely productive.

Remove the shoot at the joint of the leaf and stem

Now your tomatoes are ready for summer, and soon you’ll be tasting that first ripe, sun-warmed tomato that will be in your mouth before you leave the garden.

(Click here for my previous gardening posts)