I cannot answer your question directly, just give you my experience. I grew better boy and beefmaster this year in 16" containers. I purchased 60" High tomato cages from lowes, I wish they had 72" High cages, 60" just is not enough unless you are pinching the tops of the vines.

I have grown patio tomatos in 12" containers, I think they are to small. 14" minimum I'd say for containered variety tomatoes. 16" minimum for all others.

Also, I used bamboo sticks for "patio tomatos" (a container variety that gets about 3-4' tall with firm branches). For taller flimsier varieties, cage is necessary unless you want to spend the time tying it up. When I did tie up, I used PVC pipe which is cheap and tall and outlasts bamboo stakes.

I think the reinforcing wire personally is kind of a pain. The ready made circular cages from lowes are easy and store well. One on top of the other.

I agree. It really seems like the reinforcing wire would be a pain....and too stiff to work with.

The tomato cages are pretty cheap.

In my opinion, 16" diameter is a pretty safe size.

linchat, bradk, thanks for the advice. The reason I was worried the pre-made cages wouldn't work was that the ones I saw at Lowe's looked to be only about 3 feet tall. Last season I grew a grape tomato plant that bore from the last week of April until the first week of November when the frost came. It grew up a 4 foot stake, and most of the way back down again. So on a cage that size, I would be afraid they would end up on the ground. But I've never grown any of these varieties before anyway, so I don't know if that's a reasonable concern or not.
As far as just container size is concerned, I'm thinking about replanting all those 20" pots and then planting the same varieties in 16" s so I can see what difference it makes. I'm growing on a patio, so every little bit of space I can save without reducing production is important.
I used the 5' crw to make a compost cage, it's not that hard to work with, and I've got some left. I might try comparison between those and the premade ones as well.
Does anyone have any experience growing these particular varieties in containers?

There is a new tomato cage on the market which I stumbled on to by chance and it is perfect for container growing. Let me give you a bit of background information.

Last summer I was experimenting with an organic method to encourage tomato plants to develop a resistance to the many diseases that plague them. The experiment appears to be successful (I will post it on the Experiments Forum in the early spring for all to try) and much to my surprise the container grown plants grew way taller than expected, up to 9'. DH took a picture of the plants and sent it to our kids. Three weeks later a very unexpected, very heavy, very long package was delivered to our door by UPS. When opened it I found that it contained the most unique tomato staking support system I have ever seen.
Turns out that our Detroit daughter had shown the tomato picture to a neighboring horticulturist who was just beginning to market his tomato support invention and he sent me a case to experiment with. They are officially called "TomatOH! Holders". Web site is www.helpingyour gardengrow.com.

I had young tomatoes growing on for a fall crop so was able to use these new tomato supports right away. They are sections clipped together and can be added to on top as the plants grow. Easy. But, they have many other uses in the garden. You really have to have them in hand to understand the many ways they can be used. The web site does not do a good job of explaining how versatile these tomato supports really are. They are green in color, adaptable, expandable and very durable. Easy to store, too. I love them!

Those growing a few tomatoes in pots should consider buying a few and giving them a try. I have no interests in this company but wish it well as they have developed a good product.

Discussion on Tomato Cages

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg0108380122980.html

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg05140434639.html

bigdaddyj texas tomato cages in action wow
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Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1495}}

I myself am parcial to the "Texas Tomato Cages." A little bit expensive but WELL worth the money.

http://www.tomatocage.com/

They use 1/4 " Dia. Galvanized Steel Rod and last a LOOOONG time!

Texas Tomato Cages and the TomatOH! cages both seem like they would work, but when I figure the price and the number of plants I'm planting I can't afford them. Right now I'm leaning towards making cages for the 20" pots out of the 5' crw, and using store bought cages with the 16" pots. Now I've got to decide if I need to stake these things. I think for the ones I'm making I can just bury the bottom foot, foot and a half, in the potting soil and be alright. I don't know if that will work with the smaller pots w/ store bought cages or not. I'm worried sticking a big stake in a smaller pot will make it fall over or take up too much space in the pot. Have yall had the little cages fall over and mess up your plants?

Never had tomato tip over in pot when caged. Lowes does carry the 5 foot cages (5 foot), they are about $6 I believe. I use them in 16" containers. I think HD carries them also.

I have had the cage itself start to top and just fastend it down to the lip of the container. If this is happening, feel joy, means you have allot of tomato weight pulling to one side. Good Harvest!

nas1234,

Don't know if you have seen the self-supporting tomato cage system I developed for 31 gallon Rubbermaid containers, but it seems to work pretty well. I ONLY use the Walmart heavy duty cages (54" tall) as they are much stronger than Lowes or HD ones.

I also double the height by taking a second one, cutting off the four legs, inverting it and attach it to the base cage with zip ties. See photo:

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This gives me 72" of cage.

You can download the complete Construction Guide from the link below.

http://www.tomatofest.com/pdfs/EarthTainer-Construction-Guide.pdf

Raybo

Ok, those things are cool! I need to get at least one of those built before planting time.

Wow rnewste,
I've never seen that done before. You can sure bet that's what I'll be doing when the season rolls around.

Thanks a million!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening

Yes very cool is right. Who would of thought. I am next, will do so on the next round. Great idea.

Well, just to add some additional perspective, these aren't cheap but they'll last forever....

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tomncath
Just what type of wire is use for the cage material? I see 2 T posts per plant just not sure on the wire configured as an upside down U. ;-) Also what did it cost you per tomato for the T post and cage material?

George

tomncath,

Beautiful! Great use of space. What is that I see, could it be, must be Okra on the left. But there is another plant that looks a bit like Okra. :)

Another possibility is to find someone with bamboo growing in their yard. You know - the kind that grows like crazy and they are constantly cutting it down?

Get one of those people to give you tons of poles. I was thinking of drilling holes through them and running heavy duty twine/light rope around the sides.

One of the organic gardening books I got from the library mentioned some mixture of wax and stuff to coat wood.

I will probably try that.

One of my problems is that I'm still new to gardening, and don't want to shell out $100 on tomato cages. Especially when I'm only planning on having 2 or 3 tomato plants.

Now if fancy cages would get me good eggplants, I'd definitely go for it.

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So many great pictures of peoples gardens. Geeboss, that is probably some of the coolest pictures I have seen yet though. All natural, made use of branches, great! Zucchini right? What is that other fruit / vegetable?

Gardentrecker took these great Asian melons on the Asian Vegetable site, the long one is fuzzy melon and the fat ones are winter melon. I was quite interested in the construction of the horizontal trellis and supports.

George - I'm in Florida and my cages and trellises need to be hurricane "resistant". They are made out of Cattle Panel (CP). Initially $15 a section and I get two trellises or three cages from each...now at $24 so by the time you add $8 for the T-post you're looking at $16 a cage or $20 a trellis, but these are so much heavier than anything else and they will last for at least 20 years....

I love to see the hanging veggies and have toyed with trying that concept with CP, wish I could take credit for it but if you've ever been to EPCOT they do it using CP.

Linchat - That is okra, it's perennial here in Florida and will produce year around, although it does slow down from November trough February. Those were Clemson's and I pulled them because they were in really old potting soil and very shabby. I still have four Baby Bubba's though and cut them back for the spring.... Soon I'll be starting some new Cowhorns and Emerald as I've set aside a specific area in my small garden for them.

Tom

Okra digression:
Cowhorns are good tasting & the plant gets large.
Come warmth I'll container plant "Rocket" ( Evergreenseed). It fruits on short central stalk, minimal rangy growth habit & ate them fresh picked raw when small.

For those of you who can't find the cages you want or do not want to mess with the cages for an Earthtainer system, try this, it has proven very successful in the past for me. Get some 8-10 ft bamboo stakes and secure to opposite ends of the container. Then place 2 each 90 degree plastic elbows on top of the bamboo stakes. Then add a spreader bar between the elbows, I use some 1/2" diameter conduit which is fairly cheap at Lowes. After this is completed, then drape some netting over the spreader bar and down the sides of the container. The weight of the plant and the fruit is supported by the netting which is supported by the spreader bar which in turn is supported by the bamboo stakes. It's worked like a charm for me the past few years, easy to assemble and disassemble at the end of the year, very inexpensive, and best of all IT WORKS!

Here are some pics from early last May/June, I have to grow my 'maters from up on top of the deck because of some neighbors I have in the back yard.

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Some of my friends in the backyardÂÂÂ.

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And finally the finished product close to harvest timeÂhope 2009 turns out as well as 2008!

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Happy Gardening,

Alan

The earliest and foremost directive of any internet graphic artist is: certainly not create an photo without receiving anti-aliasing.

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