Ideas for heavy duty cages

DennisM · January 2, 2009

I am looking for heavy duty cages with four legs to use in my Earth Tainers. While browsing online, I noticed the Texas Cages which are 1/4" thick and galvanized but the price is higher than what I expected. Their sale price starts at 6 for $79.95 plus shipping @$28.50 and a $4.20 fuel charge which runs the price to $18.11 per 4-foot high cage. 6-foot cages run $22.11 per cage with a purchase of 6 cages. The cages fold up and you can add extensions. This may be a fair price but I am looking for options.

I could also use suggestions for the height of cages that I may need. The tomatoes that I am going to grow are: Aunt Ruby's German Green, Bloody Butcher, Caspian Pink, Dr. Carolyn, Dr. Carolyn Pink, Earl's Faux, Eva Purple Ball, J.D.'s Special C-Tex, KBX, Marianna's Peace, Pruden's Purple, Purple Haze, SunGold, SunSugar, Yellow Submarine, and Yoder's German Yellow. I am new to growing heirloom tomatoes so I do not have any history with them to fall back on for information.

Dennis

Wi-sunflower · January 2, 2009

I'm not sure how this will work for Earth-Tainers, but my girlfriend has made her own heavy duty cages.

Get yourself a sheet of concrete "rebar" like is used for roads or driveways. The "woven wire" stuff. Preferably with the 4x4 inch squares. 3x3 can be too small for the big tomatoes.

Cut sections the width of the cage you want. Cut next to a cross piece so that 1 piece will have a solid edge and the other will have the open bars like a pitchfork. When you have 4 pieces, lay a solid next to an open and with a plyers bend the open in a small loop around the solid.

By cutting and looping instead of just bending the rebar to shape, the cages will be "flatenable" at the end of the season.

While you can just use these cages as is, they will be a lot more solid if you use at least 1 fence post on a corner to anchor the cage.

My girlfriend has used cages like this 4 ft tall for her tomatoes for several years. Some years that are really good tho, she has wished she used 2 posts as the plants were so heavy they still dumped the cages over. But that is only occasionally.

For some of the cherries you might want to cut the rebar the long way as I have had customers tell me they grew up an 8 ft fence and 1/2 way back down before frost finally killed them.

DennisM · January 2, 2009

Thanks for the information on the rebar. I will consider that option.

What cherry tomato varieties grew so tall? Since you are from Wisconsin and I am from Iron River, Michigan our climates are probably similar. If you live near Madison, you are definitely in a warmer zone than Iron River (Zone 3b/4).

Dennis

Wi-sunflower · January 2, 2009

I think most of the indeterminate cherries will get that huge but I know my customers were commenting on Sun Sugar and Sweet Million.

Personally we grow too many plants to cage anything up. But most of our cherries will make a 3x3x3 ft mound when just sprawling on the ground.

I sell at the Madison market but live about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. While I'm probably 1 zone warmer than you, being so close to Lake Michigan kind of hurts us. We are too far away for the lake to keep us from frosting in spring or fall, but too close for it to warm up quickly in spring. Almost every afternoon we get the wind off the lake and you can feel the temp drop like a rock. If we were about 5 miles further west It might be a better spring for us.

Rebar will be rusty if that is a concern. Some fencing panels would be galvanized but usually cost more. Also you have to find the type of panels that have equal squares all the way down. Some have smaller sections as they get to the bottom.

For your area there is another option you could try.

Do this about 2 weeks earlier than you might normally set your plants out. Plant a big transplant. Set your cage around it. Put inside the cage several old milk jugs or 2 liter soda bottles filled with water. Wrap the sides of the cage with clear plastic but with the top open. Be sure you have some plastic or blankets that will fit over the top for at nite if the temps are expected to be below 40*. Leave this set-up on until at least 2 weeks beyond your normal planting time or until the plants grow over the top. The 1 exception would be if we have some unusual 90* temps forecast. You don't want to cook the plants.

I have a neighbor that uses that method on about 30 plants every spring and he always has tomatoes way before me.

DennisM · January 2, 2009

Thanks again. I have actually thought about doing something similar with the bottles of water after reading an article about gardening in the himalyaya mountains. I will probably try a version of this even if I plant in containers.
Dennis

Barbee · January 2, 2009

Hi Dennis,

Gardeners Supply has some very nice. well made, flat folding cages that are square and would work really well for containers. They are cheaper than the Texas Tomato Cages, but I think they are 4 feet tall. I believe the website is www.gardeners.com

I used them last year in the ground and they did hold my tomatoes thru the full season, but they were a little short to suit me. I got the shorter size, called tomato cages, but they also had a tomato tower, which was taller and skinnier. I think the tower would have suited me better.

Price wise, they cost me about 12.00 per cage, I think. Not as expensive as the TTC, but again, not as tall. The flat folding cages are really nice. I just zip tied mine all together last fall and stored them in the barn.

DennisM · January 2, 2009

Barbee,
Thanks, I will check them out.

Dennis

rnewste · January 2, 2009

Dennis,

For EarthTainers, the concrete type 4" by 4" wire is overkill. The heavy duty Walmart 54" cages are plenty sturdy enough. You can also invert one on top of the base unit (cut off the 4 legs as you don't want a "lightening-rod" garden). See in the right of the photo:

I am told a store called Menards also sells the heavy duty ones.

They sell out quickly in the springtime so it is best to pick them up in the April timeframe. Too bad you aren't close to San Jose as I have 8 new ones that I am not using.

Ray

DennisM · January 2, 2009

Thanks. Menards, WalMart and Home Depot are about 45 miles away. Ace Hardware and a Do-It-Best Center are very close. I should be able to find heavy duty cages at one of those stores.

Dennis

rnewste · January 2, 2009

Dennis,

I would limit my shopping for the heavy duty cages to either Menards or Walmart. No one else carries the heaviest duty ones that I have found - - not Home Depot nor Ace Hardware.

Ray

dice · January 2, 2009

(I think the "rebar" Wi-sunflower mentioned was what
we typically call "concrete reinforcing wire", or CRW.)

There have been numerous threads on cages here:
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=cages
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=cages
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=cages

Wi-sunflower · January 3, 2009

Yes that's what I meant but didn't know what it was called.

Thanks for the info and threads.

troad · January 3, 2009

Dennis,
I believe there is also a thread here by "rnewste' about some home-made walls of water put together by the very creative Ray. Might be something to look at too if you are going to use water bottles to retain heat etc.

rnewste · January 3, 2009

troad,

Here are photos of what I built. It uses six 1 liter water bottles, refilled and capped. plus one empty bottle cut off about 2" below the cap, to slide up and down to provide a self-contained plant "hot-house".

The 1 liter bottles are more manageable than 2 liter coke bottles, and they fit nicely within the EarthTainer's cage system.

Ray

troad · January 4, 2009

Ray,

I knew of your design. Just thought it was so creative it should be mentioned to anybody using solar heat. Probably should be resurrected in the original thread but I am no "Dice". Lucky to find this post again.
Only question I had was why not put the bottles cap side up?? They could be filled after putting them in place?
Len

January 2, 2009	#1
DennisM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Iron River, Michigan Posts: 24	Ideas for heavy duty cages I am looking for heavy duty cages with four legs to use in my Earth Tainers. While browsing online, I noticed the Texas Cages which are 1/4" thick and galvanized but the price is higher than what I expected. Their sale price starts at 6 for $79.95 plus shipping @$28.50 and a $4.20 fuel charge which runs the price to $18.11 per 4-foot high cage. 6-foot cages run $22.11 per cage with a purchase of 6 cages. The cages fold up and you can add extensions. This may be a fair price but I am looking for options. I could also use suggestions for the height of cages that I may need. The tomatoes that I am going to grow are: Aunt Ruby's German Green, Bloody Butcher, Caspian Pink, Dr. Carolyn, Dr. Carolyn Pink, Earl's Faux, Eva Purple Ball, J.D.'s Special C-Tex, KBX, Marianna's Peace, Pruden's Purple, Purple Haze, SunGold, SunSugar, Yellow Submarine, and Yoder's German Yellow. I am new to growing heirloom tomatoes so I do not have any history with them to fall back on for information. Dennis

January 2, 2009	#3
DennisM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Iron River, Michigan Posts: 24	Thanks Wi-Sunflower Thanks for the information on the rebar. I will consider that option. What cherry tomato varieties grew so tall? Since you are from Wisconsin and I am from Iron River, Michigan our climates are probably similar. If you live near Madison, you are definitely in a warmer zone than Iron River (Zone 3b/4). Dennis

January 2, 2009	#6
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Hi Dennis, Gardeners Supply has some very nice. well made, flat folding cages that are square and would work really well for containers. They are cheaper than the Texas Tomato Cages, but I think they are 4 feet tall. I believe the website is www.gardeners.com I used them last year in the ground and they did hold my tomatoes thru the full season, but they were a little short to suit me. I got the shorter size, called tomato cages, but they also had a tomato tower, which was taller and skinnier. I think the tower would have suited me better. Price wise, they cost me about 12.00 per cage, I think. Not as expensive as the TTC, but again, not as tall. The flat folding cages are really nice. I just zip tied mine all together last fall and stored them in the barn. __________________ *Barbee*

January 2, 2009	#11
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	(I think the "rebar" Wi-sunflower mentioned was what we typically call "concrete reinforcing wire", or CRW.) There have been numerous threads on cages here: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=cages http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=cages http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ighlight=cages __________________ -- alias

January 3, 2009	#13
troad Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Des Moines, WA. Posts: 358	Dennis, I believe there is also a thread here by "rnewste' about some home-made walls of water put together by the very creative Ray. Might be something to look at too if you are going to use water bottles to retain heat etc. __________________ There's a fine line between gardening and madness.

January 2, 2009	#2
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I'm not sure how this will work for Earth-Tainers, but my girlfriend has made her own heavy duty cages. Get yourself a sheet of concrete "rebar" like is used for roads or driveways. The "woven wire" stuff. Preferably with the 4x4 inch squares. 3x3 can be too small for the big tomatoes. Cut sections the width of the cage you want. Cut next to a cross piece so that 1 piece will have a solid edge and the other will have the open bars like a pitchfork. When you have 4 pieces, lay a solid next to an open and with a plyers bend the open in a small loop around the solid. By cutting and looping instead of just bending the rebar to shape, the cages will be "flatenable" at the end of the season. While you can just use these cages as is, they will be a lot more solid if you use at least 1 fence post on a corner to anchor the cage. My girlfriend has used cages like this 4 ft tall for her tomatoes for several years. Some years that are really good tho, she has wished she used 2 posts as the plants were so heavy they still dumped the cages over. But that is only occasionally. For some of the cherries you might want to cut the rebar the long way as I have had customers tell me they grew up an 8 ft fence and 1/2 way back down before frost finally killed them.

January 2, 2009	#8
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Dennis, For EarthTainers, the concrete type 4" by 4" wire is overkill. The heavy duty Walmart 54" cages are plenty sturdy enough. You can also invert one on top of the base unit (cut off the 4 legs as you don't want a "lightening-rod" garden). See in the right of the photo: I am told a store called Menards also sells the heavy duty ones. They sell out quickly in the springtime so it is best to pick them up in the April timeframe. Too bad you aren't close to San Jose as I have 8 new ones that I am not using. Ray

January 4, 2009	#15
troad Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Des Moines, WA. Posts: 358	Ray, I knew of your design. Just thought it was so creative it should be mentioned to anybody using solar heat. Probably should be resurrected in the original thread but I am no "Dice". Lucky to find this post again. Only question I had was why not put the bottles cap side up?? They could be filled after putting them in place? Len __________________ There's a fine line between gardening and madness.