Cage/trellis idea

[Ruth_10]

Dcarch,
Zn + Cu(+2) --> Zn(+2) + Cu
Zinc in the galvanized metal will reduce copper in the plus two state to metallic copper. That would be the case with copper sulfate. However, copper sulfide, I dunno. Copper sulfide is very insoluble in water, so I don't know how much would actually be in contact with the galvanized metal.

[dcarch]

Originally Posted by Ruth_10

Dcarch,
Zn + Cu(+2) --> Zn(+2) + Cu
Zinc in the galvanized metal will reduce copper in the plus two state to metallic copper. That would be the case with copper sulfate. However, copper sulfide, I dunno. Copper sulfide is very insoluble in water, so I don't know how much would actually be in contact with the galvanized metal.

Actually I meant sulfate. Just curious if any toxic compound might result if you spray sulfate on zinc.

dcarch

[Soilsniffer]

Ok, so it rusts. Is that bad?

Sounds like yunz are going to great lengths to combat the rust. Why not just *let* it rust? The brown color looks more natural in the garden than galvanized shiny silver anyway.

I just heard someone say "You have to stop the rust because the wire will break down and crumble away." Sure, in 10 or 15 years. If your goal is to keep the same cages for 20-30 years, ok, I have to respect that. Point taken.

[redbrick]

I avoid the rust issue completely with this A-frame setup. Of course, it's a completely different look and required some suckering, but it works well for me.

The saplings are all lashed together with baling twine, which is also what the tomatoes are trained on. The twine is tied to the ridgepole and the other end is "stitched" into the ground with a hand weeder (or asparagus knife, same tool) at the base of the tomato plant. As the leader grows, I just keep twirling it around the twine until it reaches the ridgepole (about six feet high).

The third shot is part of my "pest control patrol". The wrens love to nest in gourd houses, and the trellis is a perfect spot to hang them.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by NCTIM

except for last year when it ripped my arm open. Ten stitches and a tetnus shot.

I sorta tuned out the rest of your post. Sorry.

[mayax68]

What is the suggested diameter for the wire cages?

[Tomstrees]

18 - 24 inches ? Mine are 18 ~

Tom

[feldon30]

Texas Tomato Cages come in 18 and 24 if that helps. Bizarrely they are exactly the same price.

[johno]

I make my cages around a 36" diameter. With a double row of tomatoes on a 30" grid spacing, they fit nicely between 4 plants at a time.

[Suze]

I prefer 18" - 20" for many of the heart/variable/ox/paste droopy foliage types like Anna Russian, BBH, Prue, Wes, etc. But larger diameter will also work.

24" for other indets.

It might be a good idea (if making CRW cages) to vary the size just a little so some can be stored/stacked inside the other ones. Personally, if I still used CRW much, I'd probably make two or even three sizes because of this.

Most of my cages are the Tx cages -- I've known I was going to be moving eventually for 2-3 years now, so this seemed like the better investment long-term. Try moving CRW cages or getting someone to do it w/o major $$$ . I have 3 sizes. The vast majority of them are the 24", 6' tall size. I also have eighteen of the 18", 6' tall size. Like I said, I like these for the droopy types. They also work well for fitting inside large containers.

In addition, I have six of the 20", 5' tall (one piece) version that are occasionally found at nurseries.

[feldon30]

Ah, but because of the open hinges on my cages, I can just cut or remove the bracket and then the C-shaped cages will all fit inside each other. I would have bought the Texas Tomato Cages if I could have avoided the shipping cost.

I am not saying what I have is perfect, as these cages do not have spikes to go into the ground and support themselves. They require a large framework to keep them from flopping over. My cages don't really support the weight of the plants at all, just keep them upright. The framework has to support all the weight.

Maybe I can borrow welding tools and get some heavy-duty CR wire and add two 18" long spikes to the bottom of each cage so they can be secured to the ground. The cages would still need to be tied to each other, but the framework would become superfluous.

Based on what Anna Russian has been doing, I think using an 18" cage for oxhearts to force them to an upright growing style instead of just flopping all over the place sounds good to me.

[dice]

Feldon:

"I am not saying what I have is perfect, as these
cages do not have spikes to go into the ground
and support themselves. They require a large
framework to keep them from flopping over."

What do you think about supporting several
at once with some kind of cable strung between
posts at the ends of rows?

It seems to me one could take, say, a pair
of sturdy metal fence posts like the kind
Ruth_10 uses to anchor her cages, put one
at each end of a row of several cages, drill
a hole in each post near the top and just
above the soil line, then string 1/8" stainless
steel or galvanized cable between the posts
so that it runs through the bottoms of the cages
and just under the tops of the cages.

Given how big the holes are in CRW cages,
they could still flop around a bit in high winds
with that small diameter wire through those big
holes, but they would not blow over, much less
end up in the next county. (Careful placement
and a few twists of bailing wire to connect cage
to cable more tightly might prevent them from
flopping around.)

If you are building a framework around rows
or raised beds anyway to support emergency
frost protection, bird netting, or something
like that, maybe you can build something to
anchor the ends of the cables into that without
too much extra work or expense.

(For long, farmer-sized rows of indeterminates,
something like Worth's "leaning goat fence"
scheme is probably more practical than per-plant
cages, no matter how they are anchored.)

Edit:

Caveat: This is not going to keep them
from stacking up against one of the posts
if high wind is blowing longitudinally down
the row, which anchoring each cage
individually would prevent. Also, parachute
cord would probably work as well as metal
cable for this, maybe even twine, perhaps
doubled up.