If you're like me, you're planning on growing tomato plants in your vegetable garden and you probably don't want them sprawling all over the place. Many stores sell 4 ring tomato cages or supports but they are so little that they don't do a very good job. Here is my solution, which is actually my moms, since she's been using them for 30 plus years.
Make your own ultimate tomato cages.
- Buy Concrete Reinforcement Mesh - this comes in different roll sizes.
- Snip it into 5' x 6' sections. (Every gardener should have a good pair of mesh/bolt cutters!! Seriously)
- Roll each section into a circle to create the cage.
- Secure it together with cable ties.
I like to place the cage where I will plant the tomatoes. Wiggle the cage to leave a mark in the soil so I can tell where to plant my tomato plants. Plant two tomato plants per cage and then place my new tomato cage over my tomato plants. Secure with stakes, anchoring the cage to the ground so my tomato plants will not topple over during hard winds. We've had our tomato plants reach 6 feet tall because they are forced to stay upright and the cages only take up 2 1/2 to 3 feet of space in the garden.
What's great about these tomato cages is that the mesh is strong and these cages will last many years. I've been using the same ones for 17 years. After the tomato growing season has ended we stack them on their sides behind the garage but they could be easily laid flat if you snipped the cable ties. The mesh tomato cages are also great because the squares are large enough for your hands to fit through when you pick the your delicious tomatoes.
As for your old 4 ring tomato cages, snip them so they are half the height and use them for perennial supports.