I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Could run a row of wire fencing or plastic snow fencing and tie plants
to that, possibly.

On 7/16/2010 12:06 PM, ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

I topped a tomato plant growing way above its cage and it did not appear
to harm it or number of tomatoes.

On Jul 16, 10:06*am, ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. *The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

==
Google "pruning tomatoes".

I prune constantly.

==

"ransley" wrote in message
...
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

All planning and construction of tomato cages should take place before the
plants are planted. After that, it's like trying to control Audrie in The
Little Shop Of Horrors. So what if you have to store them year to year?
Sheets of reinforcing wire don't take much space. That concrete reinforcing
wire is great stuff, and if you make it on posts, you can access both sides.
Of course, it depends on the variety of tomatos you plant, some vining, and
some turning into bushes. It all depends.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

"Frank" wrote in message
...
On 7/16/2010 12:06 PM, ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

I topped a tomato plant growing way above its cage and it did not appear
to harm it or number of tomatoes.

Sometimes you need to do that, or you will have so many growing points that
they won't mature before frost, or you will end up with much smaller
vegetables/fruit. Which is it for a tomato, veg or fruit? Anyway, that's
what I've learned from years of tomato growing.

Love dem tasty garden tomatos. You could take some people and blindfold
them and give them a piece of store bought tomatos, and some of them
wouldn't be able to tell you what it was, they are so tasteless. And even
odorless.

Steve

visit my blog at http://cabgbypasssurgery.com

"ransley" wrote in message
...
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.


I've never seen a store-bought tomato cage that was worth a damn. Next year,
make these cylindrical ones out of normal fence wire. These are 5' high.
They've withstood huge winds without a problem. Any negative aspects to
these cages are imaginary. You'll want to cut some arm-size holes for
harvesting, and one near ground level for weeding, although not many weeds
grow once the tomato plant shades the ground underneath.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g?t=1279306361

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g?t=1279306364

20 minutes later:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g?t=1279306368

I usually prune off most of the tops, unless I don't, in which case I regret
it and do it later than I should.

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:57:26 -0400, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

-snip-

I've never seen a store-bought tomato cage that was worth a damn.

There are some out there- Gardeners.com has some for $12 that look
good enough.
http://www.gardeners.com/Tomato-Supp...efault,pd.html

They stack-- and fold flat to store. But I'd need to spend a few
hundred $$ to use them.

Next year,
make these cylindrical ones out of normal fence wire. These are 5' high.
They've withstood huge winds without a problem. Any negative aspects to
these cages are imaginary. You'll want to cut some arm-size holes for
harvesting, and one near ground level for weeding, although not many weeds
grow once the tomato plant shades the ground underneath.

If you make them out of reinforcing wire you'll have heavy duty cages
with 6" square holes & you'll eliminate the need for stakes. I cut
mine 6' long- so I end up with a 5' tall cylinder just under 2' in
diameter. I cut the bottom horizontal wire so I have 10 6" spikes
that hold it in place.


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g?t=1279306361

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g?t=1279306364

20 minutes later:
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...g?t=1279306368

Mine take a bit longer to fill out.g


I usually prune off most of the tops, unless I don't, in which case I regret
it and do it later than I should.

The only tomatoes that get taller than 4 1/2 feet in my garden are the
Sweet 100s. Their cages have a 30" extension wired on.

Jim

On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:06:19 -0700 (PDT), ransley
wrote:

I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Mine are made out of 8' re-mesh as well, w/ 6" spacing between the
wires. I made them differnt diameters so I can store them inside each
other. I can store 12 cages in the space of 4.

-Zz

On Jul 16, 2:28*pm, Zz Yzx wrote:
On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:06:19 -0700 (PDT), ransley

wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. *The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Mine are made out of 8' re-mesh as well, w/ 6" spacing between the
wires. *I made them different diameters so I can store them inside each
other. *I can store 12 cages in the space of 4.

-Zz

I second the "different diameter" scheme.
I zip tie the cylinders and if they don't nest, I just cut the ties &
expand or compress them as needed.
I only need to store 4 cylinders.

I used to use 2x4 fencing and cut away wire to give access but the
wire snip rems were always cutting me.

I bit the bullet and got some 5' Keystone Wire Poultry & Garden
fencing.
The majority of the mesh is 4" x6" ...the "bottom foot" is tighter but
I use it upside down so I can reach over the top to harvest.
The 4x6 opening allow me to reach through at any point to harvest even
the largest tomatoes.

Of course the wire comes in 165' roll, (30 + cages)

but I sell them for cost or give them away.

Not getting a couple nicks every time I harvest is worth it.

cheers
Bob

"ransley" wrote in message
...
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Lucky you! If you had these some of these darn deer, like we have here, you
wouldn't have plants that high. They pulled mine right out of the ground.

Next year will be a fence of sorts for me.

On Jul 16, 11:06*am, ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. *The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Reinforcement wire with a split old garden hose around the top ring
for a cushion. Let the vines double over the cage. 5ft up + 5ft down =
10ft of tomato vine. If they get longer than that you're using way to
much fertilizer.

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:04:38 -0400, "Larry" wrote:


"ransley" wrote in message
...
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Lucky you! If you had these some of these darn deer, like we have here,
you
wouldn't have plants that high. They pulled mine right out of the ground.

Next year will be a fence of sorts for me.



Fence? Deer can jump an 8 foot fence with room to spare.



True, but a 6 foot fence can be part of an interesting array of common
garden structures which will deter deer. You know what I mean, so there's no
need to explain further.

Rename the red things "deer bait" and can venison instead?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Larry" wrote in message
...

Lucky you! If you had these some of these darn deer, like we have
here, you
wouldn't have plants that high. They pulled mine right out of the
ground.

Next year will be a fence of sorts for me.

Use 9 foot fence, and then have a big ladder to pull the deer down
from the top. And, prepare to can venison for the winter?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


wrote in message
...


Fence? Deer can jump an 8 foot fence with room to spare.

Land mines, and sniper towers? Stalag Tomato 13?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...


Fence? Deer can jump an 8 foot fence with room to spare.


True, but a 6 foot fence can be part of an interesting array of common
garden structures which will deter deer. You know what I mean, so
there's no
need to explain further.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...


"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...


Fence? Deer can jump an 8 foot fence with room to spare.


True, but a 6 foot fence can be part of an interesting array of common
garden structures which will deter deer. You know what I mean, so
there's no
need to explain further.


Land mines, and sniper towers? Stalag Tomato 13?

Please bottom post like a normal person instead of someone who desperately
needs to be different, and for no good reason.

Onward: If the area inside the fence is crowded with things that make the
deer nervous about a landing (or launching) place, the fence will work. When
my fenced area had none of these things, the deer entered every night. As
soon as I added tomato cages, very tall bean poles, cold frame and other
annoyances, the intrusions ceased completely. This has worked for 6 years so
far.

On Jul 17, 7:23*am, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:
"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message

...



"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...

Fence? Deer can jump an 8 foot fence with room to spare.

True, but a 6 foot fence can be part of an interesting array of common
garden structures which will deter deer. You know what I mean, so
there's no
need to explain further.
Land mines, and sniper towers? Stalag Tomato 13?

Please bottom post like a normal person instead of someone who desperately
needs to be different, and for no good reason.

Onward: If the area inside the fence is crowded with things that make the
deer nervous about a landing (or launching) place, the fence will work. When
my fenced area had none of these things, the deer entered every night. As
soon as I added tomato cages, very tall bean poles, cold frame and other
annoyances, the intrusions ceased completely. This has worked for 6 years so
far.

I planted my tomats along my privacy fence. I use cup hooks and the
rails with bailing wire strung from them and rubber tubing to act as a
cushion so the wires don't cut through the vines. Gerry Baker always
recommended steal stakes with nylon stockings used as ties. He said
that there was some sort of electrical reaction... I can't remember
the whole explanation. I know they grow tall but they may anyway.

Pruning: I pinch off the suckers that grow at the branch nodes and
some of the flower bunches in the probably mistaken belief that I'll
get bigger tomats. Usually cut off the lower branches below 6 or 8
inches after the plants get going.

Pungi stakes? or was that pungi pits?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...

If the area inside the fence is crowded with things that make the
deer nervous about a landing (or launching) place, the fence will
work. When
my fenced area had none of these things, the deer entered every night.
As
soon as I added tomato cages, very tall bean poles, cold frame and
other
annoyances, the intrusions ceased completely. This has worked for 6
years so
far.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Pungi stakes? or was that pungi pits?



You're a fool. Really. Ask your family.

wrote:
ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Could run a row of wire fencing or plastic snow fencing and tie plants
to that, possibly.

--------------------
Wow! what kind of tomatoes,or what do you do to get them so big?

--

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:10:14 -0400, Paul Oman
wrote:

wrote:
ransley wrote:
I have 5 ft tomato cages but the plants will probably reach 7 ft and
are now falling down. Should the plants be pruned, will this encourage
new low growth or limit it, or do I do what I have done in the past,
sink in a 8ft 1x2 and tie them up. I googled but this I could not find
anything. The best cages I used to have were wire mesh for concrete
and rebar but you need a big place to store them.

Could run a row of wire fencing or plastic snow fencing and tie plants
to that, possibly.

--------------------
Wow! what kind of tomatoes,or what do you do to get them so big?

If I wanted to grow really tall tomatoes- first thing I'd do is move
to Alaska-- then I'd plant any of the indeterminate varieties. . .
feed and water regularly. . . buy a 25' step ladder to pick them.

You can grow little 20 footers even in the lower 48-
http://home.comcast.net/~pobrien48/T...rld_Record.htm

Jim

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Rename the red things "deer bait" and can venison instead?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

Are you on drugs?

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Pungi stakes? or was that pungi pits?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org

If you have to ask, you weren't there.