Karen, is the Florida Weave method a possibility for you? I haven't used the Texas cages myself, and I will be trying the FW for the first time this year, but my sense is you can grow more tomatoes with the FW than those super-large cages, whatever their virtues may be. Gary

You might consider taking a few over to the community garden and see if anyone wants any. Think of it as a goodwill builder can't hurt to be helpful to a fellow/gal gardener.

George

I have about equal number of regular and Texas cages.

It depends on what you mean by "regular cages"? Any of those will work fine in 5-6' CRW cages but those 3 ring thingys they laughingly call tomato cages don't work for any tomato except bush or dwarf varieties?

Dave

My regular cages are just slightly smaller than the smallest Texas Tomato Cage. I don't remember what brand they are, but they are pretty sturdy. I only do the 3 ring thingys for small plants like peppers are truely dwarf tomatoes.

Which plants would you get rid of? Since my last post I already planted Brandy Boy, Olive Hill and Millionare.

I probably won't do the Florida Weave this year as I already have quite a few tomato cages, perhaps next year if I ever get a community garden plot.

I have twisted rods,has green plastic & are to hold main stem.They do not work, the 3 ring thingy I have work okay, Concrete wire is best.
I use bamboo also.
Last year I ordered 3/4 & 1/2 size cherry tomato seeds. I was looking at the fruit size, not the plant size.I cut 12-16 ft. bamboo poles & put them in raised beds, 3 -4 to the tomato plant. A whole row of poles, then I planted the cherry tomatoes. I was going to leave the poles up & plant running beans on them this year.
The tomato plant got bushes & about 6-8 inches high, with 12 feet poles looming over them.
I had planted patio tomato plants.LOL:-)
Good luck.

I agree wiyh DAVE. Those cheap three legged funel shaped cages are funny and a waste of money. Then I have heard of those famed TEXAS cages. But as I recall, they are pretty expensive. So, a combination of staking and FW is my choice.
I use both rebar and wooden stakes(whatever I have). A small stake is good to hold the main. Then I weave.
I like to keep my tomato plants clear off the ground with space for air movement, to preven moisture born diseases and the rabbits from hiding under them. LOL

The bigger the better re: cages. Don't buy the flimsy 'tomato cages' that are available everywhere, they truly are a waste - although I think they work pretty well for a pepper plant :)

I use the mesh that they use for strengthening sidewalks - it's cut in about the right size and it's about 5' if you stand it on end.

This was a farm I went to that had many many varieties... they staked their plants - seem to work well for them:

I think they'll grow to whatever size the cages are -

I've tried and would recommend not missing out on:
-Earl's Faux
-Box Car Willie
-Anna Russian

Good luck!

Please advise which are must grow, which are to be planted in extra large texas cages and which are for regular size cages.

How many more do you have room for? Must grow from your list - my choices: (big cage) Carbon, Earl's Faux, Big Zac, Brandy Boy, and Momotaro. (small cage) Box Car Willie, Anna Russian, Aunt Gerties.

I grow organically and do not spray, so if it's particularly suseptible to disease in California I probably shouldn't grow it.

That info is available from your local county ag extension office and local gardeners as most are regional so honestly, that's research to be done before ordering the seeds much less growing the plants. :)

Dave

As a general rule of thumb from my experience large slow to ripen tomatoes are the ones that most need cages, while small fast ripening tomatoes usually have less need for them, in my case tomatoes rotting on the ground or getting insect damage from roly polys or from slugs or sun scald being the biggest culprits.