skip to main content

Growing Tomatoes

Texas tomato cage size?

14 years ago

Any opinions as to whether to get 18" or 24" cages. Will 18" suffice for heirlooms? Input is appreciated.

Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

junktruck
14 years ago
im a lil confused what texas has to do with it / but the bigger the better i would say on the cages for heirlooms
shebear
14 years ago
Junktruck......it's a brand of cages. They come in two sizes.
Related Discussions
Gurney's Tomato Cages vs. Texas Tomato Cages.
Q
Comments (39)
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.
...See More
Gardener's 'Tomato Tower' vs. Texas Tomato Cages
Q
Comments (5)
Thanks, Johnny... the width is something I hadn't considered. I'm planting with 2' spacing so I think I'm going to get the 18" Texas Cages. I don't mind a little pruning but won't do anything near what i did last year. I was doing SFG and really pruned... didn't work for me so well and my friend in Oakland who just threw some maters in a box of American Soil had 8 foot plants that just produced all season non stop. I'm in Walnut Creek and with our heat out here I expected better results than I had and I was totally jealous of my easy-going friends success and here I was all detailed with the SFG approach and it was a total failure. Are your seedlings in yet? Do you plant anything other than tomatoes? (I'm also struggling a bit with how and when to plant my other veggies like squash, beans, chard, and still leave room in the garden to transition to things like broccoli for fall, etc.) I can't seem to find any reliable date from the master gardener program about when to plant things. Do you go by frost dates? And did you get that crazy hail a couple days ago? We did here, and now I realize why the proverbial "they" tells us not to plant maters too early. thanks for your help! -kmama
...See More
Texas Tomato Cages folding up and tilting
Q
Comments (2)
I have used Texas cages many years now and that only happened to me once. It was because most of the heavy fruit and branches were all leaning over one side of the cage so the other side had very little load. Trick is to keep the plants evenly supported. Mine aren't on a hill though so I bet that's why you are having these issues...
...See More
Texas Tomato Cages
Q
Comments (15)
Actually, it does make sense forcing the branches back inside in many conditions & circumstances. I do it. It is more work though, and you risk the chance of snapping off branches or losing clusters, depending on how early you find them & try to put them back inside. Best to reach inside the cage and pull the branch back inside than trying to push from outside or weave it. On many varieties, you get an idea how tall the plants will be and you also need to take into consideration their spacing from other plants. You don't really want branches going from 1 cage into another, especially if it is a sucker with flower clusters. You also don't want flower clusters outside of the cage where birds or rodents can easily get them. I generally pull them in for the first month or more, forcing the plant upward inside the cage and out the top. In my area & climate, indeterminates are usually 6-7ft tall, or 12-24'' above the top of the cage later in the year--some cerries even more. I have had problems with plants collapsing because of fruit load but simply stick a bamboo stake inside the cage for support. Bought in bulk, they are around $1 each for 7-8ft tall bamboo in the 5/8'' to 3/4'' diameter. You can even go with thicker bamboo that is shorter, like 1'' x 5ft. You really only need to support it the first 3-4ft to prevent collapse. I even cut some bamboo into 2-3ft pieces to support pepper plants. I use the green velcro from H-D for $2.99/roll and leave slightly loose early in the year (only about an extra 1/8'' gap) and add a couple more velcro strips throughout the first 6 weeks of the season. I use a velcro strip every 12-18 inches. Of course, with Texas Cages, there is much less support vertically (about 11 verticals on a standard CRW cage about 18'' diameter and how many on a TX? 4?) Likewise with horizontal support--11 again, before anybody cuts any to stick into the ground on most CRW cages. I think if you can afford TX Cages with their huge gaping openings for the convenience of being able to store them instead of leaving them out all year, then affording the bamboo shouldn't be an issue! Hope this helps.
...See More
junktruck
14 years ago
ahhh its the brand name / i did see some very good looking plasticoat like cages today they came in red yellow and blue / think im gonna try a few / make my garden perty heheheh
cyrus_gardner
14 years ago
I thing since tomato spacing is usually about 24", then you would want to have some space between them. So I think 18" will do. Some of them suckers can always stick out anyway. hehe

PS. I do not use cages.
tammysf
14 years ago
Get the 24 inch. I have the 24 inch and for some plants they are not big enough. I couldnt imagine getting smaller.
johnny_tomato_seed
14 years ago
Heya Tammy. Hope all is well.

I have 18 and 24 inch cages. I am trying to somehow get rid of my 18 inch ones.
bigdaddyj
14 years ago
I need 24 inches. My tomato plants get HUGE! And I don't prune. If you are like me you'll LOVE your 24" Texas Tomato cages and wonder how you ever managed without them...:)
jel7
14 years ago
I use the 24inch cage with a two foot extension.

Remember part of the cage goes into the ground for stability. The extensions add a "neat" touch to the garden.

John
jerrya
14 years ago
I agree with John, go with 24 inch and get the extensions. YOu will wonder how you lived without them. Your plants will appreciate the room and they will, before you know it, be growing out the top of the extensions and out the sides on all sides. I had to support some individual branches by tying branches onto 8 feet tall bamboo when a break in the heat resulted in new fruit set at about 7 feet tall. When those maters started filling out, the plant couldn't support them on their own.
californian
14 years ago
If you order direct from the manufacturer the price of the six foot high 18 inch and 24 inch is exactly the same, $99.95 for six of them, plus $32.70 for shipping, so might as well get the bigger ones. BTW, the ones that nurseries sell are only five feet high, but you don't need to buy six at a time. However most of them have it figured out that you end up paying the same per cage as if you ordered from the manufacturer including the very expensive shipping charge. You do save the sales tax though by ordering from the manufacturer unless you live in Texas.
veryzer
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks. Looks like 24" is the way to go.
janissarie
14 years ago
I haven't used mine yet (I just got them delivered). I wanted/needed 8-24" and I wanted the extensions so I called the manufacturer and they were able to pack 8 plus 8 extensions into 2 boxes. I saved some shipping costs and got the quantity I needed.

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

REGIONAL GARDEN GUIDES Texas Gardener's April Checklist

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Get your sowing and planting on — spring brings a tantalizing array of possibilities in the garden

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: An Animal Lover's Texas Sanctuary

By Kailey J. Flynn Photography

Dogs, cats and horses enjoy an idyllic temporary refuge here, but the eco-minded home has a permanent place in its owner's heart

GARDENING GUIDES Texas Gardener's March Checklist

By J. Peterson Garden Design

So long, freezing temperatures. It's time to kick off spring planting, lavish attention on lawns and sprinkle seeds to your heart's content

0

GARDENING GUIDES Texas Gardener's September Checklist

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Clear out summer's leftovers to make way for your fall garden's perennials, trees and shrubs

0

SOUTHWEST GARDENING Texas and Desert Southwest Gardener's January Checklist

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Since snow doesn't swirl in these parts, it's time to get fruit trees in the ground, check irrigation and color the garden with annuals

GARDENING GUIDES Texas Gardener: What to Do in July

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Beat the heat with sun-loving blooms, pest control, good lawn care and sun protection. Pick up the pace for planting and planning

MY HOUZZ My Houzz: Historic Textures Meet Modern Touches in Texas Hill Country

By Michaela Dodd

An oft-renovated former log cabin now features a soothing palette and nods to New Orleans

GARDENING GUIDES Texas Gardener's February Checklist

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Show roses some love around Valentine's Day and set the stage for future garden growth with seeds and starts

RUSTIC STYLE Houzz Tour: Modern Meets Rustic on a Lake in Texas

By Becky Harris

A builder uses her home as a design-construction lab, fashioning gabion walls, pipe lights and reclaimed-wood features

Sponsored

Red Pine Landscaping

Industry Leading Landscape Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Has anyone heard of a storage tomato? Looking at Giallorosso di Crispi

4

"Purple" tomatoes?

4