How do you make a tomato cage bigger

6 months ago

My tomato has already outgrown its cage. I'm not trying to brag. It's planted in the raised bed, and covered with netting, so I don't want to move it. I would search, but it's not Gardeweb, it's Houzz and it gives you way too many suggestions.
Do I somehow rig another cage on top of it? Add some sticks? What would you do? I normally just sort of strap it to the pergola, but it's in the raised bed that's across the yard. I'm doing my very best to keep it away from the hornworms. Over by the pergola , is where the nicotiana and moonflower vine are. I assume the netting and the distance are enough 🤞🏻
Not going to lie, there is an uncovered tomato plant just for the hornworms. I happen to love sphynx moths.

Featured Answer

kitasei2

6 months ago

Look for the ”V” where a stem branches and pinch out the little stem growing in the middle. This will increase the size of the fruit and control the sprawl. To control the height, or at the end of the season when new fruits won‘t have time to ripen, pinch the tips.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

aziline
6 months ago
Is it an indeterminate tomato? You could try the Lower and Lean method.
0
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked aziline
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
6 months ago
last modified: 6 months ago

Three things. Please ignore the grass on the outside. I didn't expect everything to survive. And I know it needs to be weeded. P.S. the entire line of flowers behind it are really outside of the chicken wire fence. Got to keep the deer out. It's just marigolds, chilis, and a mini pumpkin tower with two tomatoes.

Now that that's established, how can I make your method work with the tomato on the right? I'm never this successful, so I'm really at a loss
0
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
How do I use tomato cages?
Q
Comments (3)
I use CRW and Texas cages and never prune and that includes lower branches. I might snip any that are hitting the ground but it's rare. I install my cages soon after transplant. Even the lowest ring helps keep foliage off the ground so get your cages on early. Every week or so gently bend any branches that have grown out and away from the cage back inside and pointing upwards. After a few weeks you may need to do this every other day because your plants are growing HUGE and quickly. Once the tops of branches grow above the top of the cage just let them fold over the top rung and start growing back down. This may seem like a lot of work but it's hardly anything at all for say 20 plants. The wider the cage the easier it is to keep the branches growing upward and inward. You are going to fall in love with those Texas cages...Congrats!
...See More
How do I achieve bigger tomatoes?
Q
Comments (10)
Thank you for the responses! I have been getting the gist that miracle grow is not preferred, and also the sorry excuses for products you can accidentally buy in the gardening aisle. (I just bought 'Neem oil' in a hurry only to realize that it was 1% neem oil and 90% pesticides that kill bees and are toxic!) But that's a whole different thread... My 2 early girls are in half-barrels, with miracle grow potting mix and my other 2 are in a raised bed in 1 part peet, 1 part bagged compost and 1 part bagged garden soil from lowes.. there is a grape tomato plant inbetween in the raised bed that produces like crazy and is huge, all flowers, but the tomatoes are gravel sized! I am going to read on soil now, thank you
...See More
Tomato Cages - do you want some ?
Q
Comments (10)
I am having trouble pasting a photo. I will keep trying. grubby - Actually 5 foot can be rolled into a 19" with separate clips. If you ever try rolling CRW in that direction you will find it crazy hard and dangerous. digdirt - Is that you from the old Gardenweb forum ? My best year ever (2006 in Jersey) had plants 10 foot tall, yielding 50 toms each x 20 plants = 1000 toms. It is my goal each year and the closest I've gotten was 500 last year. I want tall cages which are sort of self fulfilling (ie. you don't have to do much except tuck in the branches). I've had 9 foot stakes for a decade and putting in 20 reasonably straight is actually a pleasure. Let me try again with the pic post. Its not working....I click Photo, Browse to the photo, Click open, and the screen comes back to this view and nothing happens. Any ideas ?
...See More
Related Professionals
Norfolk Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Brentwood Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Garden City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bergenfield Landscape Contractors · Dallas Landscape Contractors · Hampton Bays Landscape Contractors · Hannibal Landscape Contractors · Riverhead Landscape Contractors · Reisterstown Landscape Contractors · Castaic Gardeners & Lawn Care · Alameda Driveway Installation & Maintenance · Charlotte Driveway Installation & Maintenance · Fallbrook Driveway Installation & Maintenance · Crestwood Driveway Installation & Maintenance · Lake Forest Driveway Installation & Maintenance
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
6 months ago
Oh, and it's 'Black Krim'
0
daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
6 months ago
Um, if you have room, just set up another cage next to it. Lateral expansion.
0
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
6 months ago
Oh. Okay. It's just crazy to be this successful this early. He'll probably get probably taken out by a hail storm or deer. Hopefully not. Thank you.
0
marmiegard_z7b
6 months ago
Are you pruning and taking off suckers? You don’t have to, but some do and like the plant to be trimmer & have more air circulation.
Sometimes I put a large center stake in the cage, with loosely tying the main stem for more stability , because I use a large diameter cage, and may add some stakes outside the cage also. My cage is fenced for deer also, and anything that protrudes through the fence gets pruned by the deer.
0
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
6 months ago
I've never did it to, because I've never gotten this big. I'm lucky if it survives hornworms. I don't even know that I would know what to look for to prune a sucker. Flowers, I have all day long. Vegetables not so much.
0
daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
6 months ago
There are two approaches to the problem. (1) make the cage bigger, (2) make the plant smaller. It's a matter of deciding whether productivity can be compromised. Adding additional netting may be an issue, so the second option might well be more feasible.
0
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
6 months ago
last modified: 6 months ago
I have a number of spiral stakes and use them to support long tomato vines when they top their cages - you just wind the stems into the spirals

IIRC, I got some of mine here:

https://www.gardeners.com/buy/spiral-plant-and-tomato-stakes/39-514.html

Lowes has them singly:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gardener-s-Blue-Ribbon-Tomato-Twist-Red/5005344769
0

How do you make a tomato cage bigger

kitasei2

Comments (10)

aziline

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

Related Discussions

Related Professionals

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

marmiegard_z7b

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

How do you make a tomato cage bigger

kitasei2

Comments (10)

aziline

rob333 (zone 7b)Original Author

Related Discussions

Related Professionals

rob333 (zone 7b)Original Author

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

rob333 (zone 7b)Original Author

marmiegard_z7b

rob333 (zone 7b)Original Author

daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author