The cage is an effective tool for growing tomatoes and enjoying their delicious harvest. You can cage tomatoes by purchasing or making sturdy cages and fitting them properly around the plant. Once the cage is in place, all you have to do is tend the plant occasionally and wait for it to produce tomatoes that are ripe enough to pick.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Choosing Cage Tomatoes
Step 1. Use metal cages if you don't have enough space in the garden
These metal cages are slim and flexible, so you can use them in tighter spaces. Metal cages are especially useful if tomatoes are planted close together.
Step 2. Find tomato cages that are at least 1.5 meters high
This high cage can support most tomato varieties. If you are growing a shorter variety, such as santiam or siberia, choose a shorter cage instead.
Step 3. Choose a cage that is between 30-80 cm in diameter
Look for cages that are larger in diameter if you are growing larger varieties of tomatoes.
Step 4. Make the cage yourself using concrete reinforcing wire
You can find them at your local hardware store. Make sure your hands can fit through the wire openings so you can pick the fruit later. Cut 1 meter of wire for every 30 cm diameter of the cage to be made. Tie each end of the wire in a knot and drive the cage into the soil around the tomato plant.
Step 5. Make one fruit cage for each tomato plant in the garden
Each tomato must have its own cage to grow properly.
Part 2 of 3: Installing the Cage
Step 1. Place the cage directly on top of the tomato plant
Place the cage right in the middle, both for tomatoes grown in pots and in the ground. The walls of the cage should be close to the plants. It is normal for tendrils or leaves to stick out of the cage.
To avoid root damage, install the cage as soon as the young plant is moved to its permanent place
Step 2. Press the cage so that the bottom sticks into the ground
Keep pressing until the entire turus is completely buried. If you have trouble pressing down, just hit lightly with a hammer.
Step 3. Check that the cage is firmly in place
Hold it straight then push and pull it a little bit gently. If you feel like the wind might break the cage down, attach a few bolts to the bottom of the cage and press them into the ground for added support.
Place it straight outside the cage so you don't damage the roots as you plunge them into the soil
Step 4. Confine all the tomatoes in the garden
Repeat the same process and make sure all the cages are firmly stuck into the ground. If you are planting and confining new tomato plants, keep them about 1 meter apart from each other.
Part 3 of 3: Caring for Tomatoes
Step 1. Tie a low hanging young vine to the cage
The binding will stimulate the tomato plant to grow upward in the cage. You can use something like string or rubber to tie the vine to the cage. Make sure the knot isn't too tight so the plant doesn't hurt.
Step 2. Prune dead leaves to conserve energy for fruit growth
Pull the leaves by hand or cut them using cutting shears. Prune twice a week or whenever you see wilting leaves.
Step 3. Lift the cage if it collapses and tie it down to support the plant
Drive three or four straight into the soil around the base of the plant. Be careful not to hammer all the way down to the roots. Loop plant rope or wire around the cage and tie it on the turret until the cage is firmly supported.
Step 4. Cut the tomato plants after they are all dead
You can tell when a plant is dead when it turns brown and yellow and begins to wilt. Use the cutting shears to cut off any dead vines that are still coiling into the cage. The tomato cage should remain in place until all the tomatoes have been harvested.
Step 5. Pull the cage out of the soil and save it for the next growing season
Keep the cage indoors so that it is not damaged by natural elements. Reuse the cage the following year to plant more tomatoes.
