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  • From: "David Tannen" <david AT centerville.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tomato cages
  • Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 08:53:07 -0500

Shelley,
 
I have always used the Florida weave system, but want to try the cages to help eliminate disease.  In Tennessee it appears to be difficult to gorw tomatoes because of the many blights.  My research seems to be saying that these diseases splash up from the soil during rain and take advantage of the damage done by the Florida weave method.  I will use the cages and mulch heavily to avoid this splash up.
 
David  
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 8:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tomato cages

Is there an advantage to using cages over using the Florida weave system?
Shelly
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 7:25 AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Tomato cages

David
 
When we make them for determinate tomatoes, we roll out the wire about 15-20' at a time, then carefully bend the wire back, just a little, to take the strong curl out. We then cut it down the middle to make twice as many short cages. This works really well for the very determinate varieties, just about anything but really indeterminate varieties, like Early girl or Brandywine.
 
For indeterminates, we don't split the roll down the middle. We just cut it across at 10 square (60") intervals. We hook the cut edges and connect the hooks to the opposite square, which makes a 5' tall cage, as opposed to the 30" short cages. Snip the cross wire between the verticals at the bottom and you have small spikes to push into the ground. Watch out for drip tubing though when you set them in the field.
 
One problem with them is that they are top-heavy, especially as the plants grow up into them, set fruit and a storm comes along. To address that, we plant the tomatoes in pairs about 30" apart, then skip about 4' to the next pair. We set a tomato stake between the two in each pair, then place the cages over the plants but against the stake. Then we use a cable-tie (cheap plastic but strong) to bind the cages near the top of the stake. They are all bound together and lend each other back-up strength during high winds. In three years of doing this we've had only a couple blow over, even during strong storms with 50 mph winds.
 
I'm pretty happy with this system for indeterminates. It's easy to set up, the fruit are pretty easy to reach, the plants get good aeration for disease management, break-down and storage go pretty quick and it's not too difficult to move them, especially if you unhook each cage and nest about 5-6 together. Un-nesting them is a little tricky but if you watch what you're doing carefully, it's not too bad.
 
Bill Shoemaker, Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
University of Illinois - St Charles Horticulture Research Center
www.nres.uiuc.edu/faculty/directory/shoemaker_wh.html
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 6:49 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] Tomato cages

I just purchased a roll of concrete wire to make tomato cages.  The roll is 5' by 150'.  What length of wire do I need to use for each cage? 
 
Thanks.
David 


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