Saturday, January 24, 2015

By Janine Hughes


Tomatoes are some of the easiest plants to grow, and in any home garden, this vegetable is one of the most common plants. However, their success partly depends on the support they get. The plants need support to grow upwards. This calls for the introduction of cages to prevent plants from breaking, falling off, or even the fruit from rotting due to contact with the ground. The best homemade tomato cage requires no rocket science. It is an easy step by step process that takes a short time to master.

Smaller cages easily available in the garden centers are recommended for smaller bush like tomato plants which can also be stacked and just perform as well. When it comes to larger and longer growing types, the story is different. Some serious, and in most cases, the homemade support system is necessary in order to get the best from the plant.

It is advisable to start with the materials already available, as this can help to greatly minimize the total cost of construction. In most cases, the recommended wire is the heavy gauge wire-mesh which is longer lasting and very stable. However, the recycled poultry fencing can also perform as well.

If none of the materials required are available, then one has to start from the scratch. The 2 by 2 by 8 framing lumber is good enough and cheaply available from the nearby lumber store. This can be further subdivided into two. Once the appropriate length of the wire mesh has been determined, spread it on the ground and cut off the correct size. The wire is then rolled up to form a column. A wooden stake is then stacked into the wire so that the cage can be anchored firmly to the ground. A short pipe can also achieve this. Lastly, the wire mesh is hammered around the plant to the ground and it is ready.

If the construction is to start from the scratch due to non-availability of any of the required materials, then the first step is to buy them from the local hardware. The required materials include a 2 by 2 by 8 framing lumber, wire mesh of an appropriate length depending on the number of plants, nails and the tools such as wire cutter, hammer, and heavy duty gloves. The poll is divided into two equal halves.

Generally, the tomato plants grown inside the cage require no tying. However, it is till good to help the vines out by loosely tying their stalks onto the support system using some soft twine, pantyhose or cloths. This should be done regularly as the plant continues growing.

These home made support system are also better than the commercial options in many ways. Its first advantage is in strength coming from a strong wooden cage. This comes in addition to the ease of a wire trellis. They are also long lasting and easily serve for over five seasons with little care needed. Lastly, they are very cheap, with the average cost totaling to less than $2.

This support system guarantees that the fruits that are obtained are cleaner and of higher quality than any other regular fruits. Even though it is a little laborious particularly when there are many plants involved, the economic benefits of this system are just overwhelming.




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