My tomato cages - Page 2

Crandrew · July 22, 2013

1 of 3?

Are you adopting?

Salsacharley · July 22, 2013

Your set up is magnificant. Would you mind explaining how your cages fold up?

Thanks,

Charley

Organic Mechanic · July 22, 2013

Crandrew, maybe we should consider it to help with the weeding!

Charley, Check out the first pic I posted. The third cage on the right that is standing upright has its side facing the camera. I loosen one screw from each rung on the side and then swing the rung up pivoting on the remaing screw on the other side, I do this for all 3 rungs per side, 6 total. Then the cage simply swings closed. With a cordless drill it doesn't take much time at all.

Plus what I like about the cages if I wait a little too long and the tomato doesn't easily fit it the cage I can open the cage any width I need and then "sandwich" the tomato plant in the cage and then screw the rungs back down without damaging the plant by trying to tuck in the vines.

I do tie the plants to a 3' stake to get them started. My Mother prefers to get her plants started in the cheap metal cages and then sets these wooden cages over the top which also works good.

Vicmeister · May 15, 2014

I know this is almost a year old, but I LOVE the concept! I'm going to make the same thing but out of Vinyl posts instead.....and without a hold for the container as mine are in the ground. I am so excited to get started on it, thank you for the idea!

PhilaGardener · May 15, 2014

Great cages - thanks for bumping this thread, Vicmeister. Organic Mechanic, can you post the lengths of the three rungs and how you made the top block (are the sides angled)? Thanks for sharing this nice design!

Vicmeister · May 29, 2014

Ok I made my prototype last weekend....here is how it turned out.

Organic Mechanic · May 30, 2014

Sorry for the late reply, but on the bright side yesterday I finished all my planting! Here is the cut list.

PhilaGardener · May 30, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Organic Mechanic

Sorry for the late reply, but on the bright side yesterday I finished all my planting! Here is the cut list.

Thanks for the info! I am looking forward to making these!

JimM_SC · June 1, 2014

Great idea and great pics. Thanks for posting the cutting list. In the original set of photos there is what looks like a raised square foot garden??? - wooden container on posts with lots of dividers - please tells us about it.
Jim - who is no longer in SC, but is now in TX.

Organic Mechanic · June 4, 2014

Jim- You are right, that was my square foot garden! It's 3' wide and 6' long with gaps between the bottom boards and then covered with landscape fabric. I grew radishes and carrots in it. Being on legs it required frequent watering but worked good. That bed along with the self-watering tomato cage are at my grandparents this year. At 95 and 86 years old this would have been the first year they didn't have a large traditional garden so I took both of the planters over for Mother's day and they are loving them not having to bend over.

Brandon558 · June 5, 2014

Very cool cages and beautiful garden. May try a few of these next year.

moray-eel-bite · August 18, 2014

Can I ask how these worked out over the season? I'm planning on making a set this winter for next year, but how do they handle vines that can grow 10 feet or more? I have a couple this year that are 15 feet long (currently sprawled over the ground). I'm unsure whether to invest in this or do a trellis system. Any thoughts after using them?

Cheers.

Tracydr · August 18, 2014

Beautiful cages! I'm cutting down some bamboo and laying it flat on a couple of downed trees to make cages similar to these over the winter. I also plan to use bamboo to make trellises for beans and other climbers. I've acquired a large patch of very tall bamboo with our new place. Figure that cutting down a bunch for projects will be one way to keep the entire property from turning into a bamboo forest!
I'm even considering building a chicken coop and duck house with bamboo framing. It's so much easier than lumber for me to work with. I'm always afraid to cut my boards, after stitching up lots of table saw injuries and referring far more to ortho to have fingers reattached.

Lindalana · August 31, 2014

Wow to handywork! That is some set up!
Lovely cages. I am a bit concerned that top is closed... my biggest mess usually ends on the top

creister · September 1, 2014

Did you rip the 2x4x10's and then cut your pieces.

August 18, 2014	#28
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	Beautiful cages! I'm cutting down some bamboo and laying it flat on a couple of downed trees to make cages similar to these over the winter. I also plan to use bamboo to make trellises for beans and other climbers. I've acquired a large patch of very tall bamboo with our new place. Figure that cutting down a bunch for projects will be one way to keep the entire property from turning into a bamboo forest! I'm even considering building a chicken coop and duck house with bamboo framing. It's so much easier than lumber for me to work with. I'm always afraid to cut my boards, after stitching up lots of table saw injuries and referring far more to ortho to have fingers reattached. Last edited by Tracydr; August 18, 2014 at 08:03 AM.

July 22, 2013	#16
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	1 of 3? Are you adopting?

July 22, 2013	#17
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Your set up is magnificant. Would you mind explaining how your cages fold up? Thanks, Charley

July 22, 2013	#18
Organic Mechanic Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: WI Posts: 13	Crandrew, maybe we should consider it to help with the weeding! Charley, Check out the first pic I posted. The third cage on the right that is standing upright has its side facing the camera. I loosen one screw from each rung on the side and then swing the rung up pivoting on the remaing screw on the other side, I do this for all 3 rungs per side, 6 total. Then the cage simply swings closed. With a cordless drill it doesn't take much time at all. Plus what I like about the cages if I wait a little too long and the tomato doesn't easily fit it the cage I can open the cage any width I need and then "sandwich" the tomato plant in the cage and then screw the rungs back down without damaging the plant by trying to tuck in the vines. I do tie the plants to a 3' stake to get them started. My Mother prefers to get her plants started in the cheap metal cages and then sets these wooden cages over the top which also works good.

May 15, 2014	#19
Vicmeister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Desert of WA State, USDA Zone 6B Posts: 29	I know this is almost a year old, but I LOVE the concept! I'm going to make the same thing but out of Vinyl posts instead.....and without a hold for the container as mine are in the ground. I am so excited to get started on it, thank you for the idea!

May 15, 2014	#20
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Great cages - thanks for bumping this thread, Vicmeister. Organic Mechanic, can you post the lengths of the three rungs and how you made the top block (are the sides angled)? Thanks for sharing this nice design!

May 29, 2014	#21
Vicmeister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Desert of WA State, USDA Zone 6B Posts: 29	Ok I made my prototype last weekend....here is how it turned out.

June 1, 2014	#24
JimM_SC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Burnet, TX Posts: 138	Great idea and great pics. Thanks for posting the cutting list. In the original set of photos there is what looks like a raised square foot garden??? - wooden container on posts with lots of dividers - please tells us about it. Jim - who is no longer in SC, but is now in TX.

June 4, 2014	#25
Organic Mechanic Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: WI Posts: 13	Jim- You are right, that was my square foot garden! It's 3' wide and 6' long with gaps between the bottom boards and then covered with landscape fabric. I grew radishes and carrots in it. Being on legs it required frequent watering but worked good. That bed along with the self-watering tomato cage are at my grandparents this year. At 95 and 86 years old this would have been the first year they didn't have a large traditional garden so I took both of the planters over for Mother's day and they are loving them not having to bend over.

June 5, 2014	#26
Brandon558 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hampstead,NC Posts: 64	Very cool cages and beautiful garden. May try a few of these next year.

August 18, 2014	#27
moray-eel-bite Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 47	Can I ask how these worked out over the season? I'm planning on making a set this winter for next year, but how do they handle vines that can grow 10 feet or more? I have a couple this year that are 15 feet long (currently sprawled over the ground). I'm unsure whether to invest in this or do a trellis system. Any thoughts after using them? Cheers.

August 31, 2014	#29
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	Wow to handywork! That is some set up! Lovely cages. I am a bit concerned that top is closed... my biggest mess usually ends on the top

September 1, 2014	#30
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Did you rip the 2x4x10's and then cut your pieces.