Heirlooms that can be supported with a 5' cage?

14 years ago

My stakes are already "assigned", so I'm looking for a few more TASTY tomatoes that won't outgrow some old 5 foot cages that I have. I know taste is subjective, so if it helps, my favorite tomatoes are Black Krim and Cherokee Purple. Too late to plant from seed, so I need suggestions for plants that are commonly available as transplants. Some transplants I've seen around town are:

Arkansas Traveler

Boxcar Willie

Hillbilly

Nebraska Wedding

Old German

Aunt Ginny's

Amish Paste

Rutger's

Mortgage Lifter

I think those last two might just be open pollinated, sorry if that is the case. Thanks in advance for any help!

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Comments (10)

jtcm05
14 years ago
I grow all of mine in 5 foot cages.
roselane
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for responding. I only grew a few heirlooms last year and then tasted a bunch that I bought at the farmers market. Do most heirlooms not get as tall as tomatoes like jetstar and beefmaster? I put those varieties in 5 foot cages and they outgrew them.
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Commercial growers worry about things like ease of harvest and uniformity of fruit size, and they tend to have much more intense disease pressures than hobby growers. People who cage generally just let the plant grow as it will. Pruning is reserved for dying or diseased leaves, aside from aggressive removal of leaves from the bottom of the plant to keep foliage away from the soil. Some people will prune off growing tips once the end of the season gets near in order to try to ripen up the fruits already on the plant before frost. Others don't bother and say it doesn't make much of a difference. Some will cut off the tops once the plant grows as tall as the cage, but others will let the vines flop over the top of the cage and continue to grow and hang down. Regardless, the leaves are where the plant produces the sugars and other nutrients that go into making the fruit, so there's some logic to the idea of keeping as much of the foliage as possible. Disease is what you have to weigh against that, so it's a balancing act. Length of growing season is also a consideration. Is there a point in letting a plant get huge and wild and produce a gazillion flowers and set a ton of fruit if you don't have the time for those fruit to mature before frost? Also, if you want to plant a lot of varieties but have insufficient space to let them all grow into huge, caged plants and are OK with a smaller harvest from each plant, you could prune enthusiastically and grow the plants closer together. It's really a matter of what your goals and needs are.
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HoosierCheroKee
14 years ago
Of those you list, I can safely say that Rutgers and Arkansas Traveler will not outgrow a 5-foot tall wire cage. The Rutgers shouldn't top it and the Traveler might peep out over the top but not dangle too much.

I've heard that Nebraska Wedding can be contained in a 5-foot wire cage, but I've never grown it.

Next year, start some Indian Stripe from seed to grow in your 5-foot cages.

For an excellent hybrid adapted to 5-foot cages, try Celebrity, which should be abundantly available as bedding plants.
jtcm05
14 years ago
Most indeterminate varieties like the ones you list will exceed 5 feet in height in good soil. However, this does not mean you cant use a 5 foot tall cage to grow them. The plants will still be contained and at worst will simply dangle over the tops of the cage a bit.
mulio
14 years ago
Anchor the cages with a good stake and it wont matter too much if they grow over the top.
alabamanicole
14 years ago
Amish Paste is a sauce tomato and not a slicer, but my plants never got very large despite being good producers. 4 1/2 or 5 feet tops.
digdirt2
14 years ago
Agree that all the ones you list are indeterminates and will easily top a 5 foot cage. Average indeterminate is 8-10 feet tall or more.

But that is normal and no problem anyway. Most all growers, including me, use 5 foot cages and they work fine. The plant simply drapes over the top as John said above and keeps right on growing and making tomatoes.

The purpose of a cage is to keep the plant off the ground but there is no law that says the plant can't be taller than the cage. If there was then we'd all be in trouble. ;)

Dave
azruss
14 years ago
An indeterminate that probably will not top your cage is Break O'Day. Nor will Indian Stripe, and both are outstanding, tasty tomatoes.
roselane
Original Author
14 years ago
You guys are awesome! Thanks so much! While I was out today, I bought pineapple, pink girl, Arkansas traveler, Boxcar Willie, and Mortgage lifter to cage. I'm really getting into the heirloom thing this year after enjoying my first heirlooms last summer. I also have black krim and cherokee purple, as well as hybrids jetstar, beefmaster, and brandy boy to stake. I'm thinking that I'll probably switch boxcar willie over to a stake and cage beefmaster. If I can find some cheap stakes, I'll also put a stake in each cage. I was thinking that if the plant bent over too much it might break, so thanks for pointing out that it's no big deal if it bends over. I don't usually post much, but I've learned a ton on this forum, so thanks so much!
kterlep
14 years ago
Reisentraube, it's a cherry that grows in bunches (like grapes)--it probably will not grow much more than 5' in the best season. They are bushy, though!

Heirlooms that can be supported with a 5' cage?

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jtcm05

roselane
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Heirlooms that can be supported with a 5' cage?

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roselaneOriginal Author

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