Florida Weave

[christian1971]

Originally Posted by TC_Manhattan

This sounds like a great idea! Especially if you already have the stakes.
I tried something similar last year with a few plants for which I had no cages.
(I am gradually adding to my cage collection each year now.)

First I started by tying to each stake, then eventually progressed to running twine around the whole plant and stakes, like you describe.

BTW, I checked out those tomato cages you mentioned at Home Depot (54" high and 16" diameter, at $4.50 each). I wouldn't bother. They looked like a taller version of the flimsy cheap ones. If you can find them, Glamos Wire makes really heavy-duty cages (wire gauge at least twice as thick as the cheap ones) that are 54" high x 18" diameter. A local family-owned garden center here sells them for $9. each and I now have 14 of them. They work great for most of the varieties, and especially good for those wispy heart varieties to protect the fruits from sun scald. If you can find those, they're a good deal, but Glamos also makes a similar sized one that's not heavy-duty, and the other garden centers sell those for even more than the HD ones I bought. I add to my collection bit by bit.


I'm springing for 3 Texas tomato cages this year to try them for some larger indeterminates (Brandy Sudduth, Brandy OTV) so I can spare all the stem pruning.
I had them on 8' tall 2"x2" stakes last year and think they'll produce more in those cages.
You can buy 3 of their 6' cages with shipping for $90. That's pricey, but everyone who has them swears by them, so maybe bit by bit…

P.S. I spear each conical cage with a stake on one side to stabilize it once the plants get big and loaded.

What would you recommend I use for tieing around stakes that will hold tight?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by christian1971

What would you recommend I use for tieing around stakes that will hold tight?

Me not them but if you are talking about metal post to support cage they make a wire tie clip just for the purpose.
You can get them by the bag full.
They are called T Post clips.
You can also get them in aluminum for chain link fences.
http://www.texas-trading.com/images/clips.jpg

http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD-...554C/204510266
Both will work great.


Worth

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by christian1971

What would you recommend I use for tieing around stakes that will hold tight?

Are you talking about fastening the T-post to a cage?

Or do you mean placing 3 stakes circling a plant, then winding some type of rope/twine to encircle the plant and the stakes?

If you're using the T-post/stake to stabilize a cage, do what Worth recommends.

There's all sorts of materials you could use if you want to encircle the whole plant and stakes set-up, so I think you'd want something inexpensive. Try twine, or clothesline rope, or some folks use panty hose. (I cannot imagine how many pantyhose it would take though..)

[Gardeneer]

How much does a medium Texas Tomato Cage cost ?

Home Depot is selling a heavy gage 4-ring cage @ $36 a piece. In addition being heavy duty , it also has much bigger diameter than the the best 3-ring cages. .

Gardeneer

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

How much does a medium Texas Tomato Cage cost ?

Home Depot is selling a heavy gage 4-ring cage @ $36 a piece. In addition being heavy duty , it also has much bigger diameter than the the best 3-ring cages. .

Gardeneer

Holy Mackerel I just looked on line and they are $169 a six pack.
But now that includes shipping they are really heavy and a better deal than the home depot ones.

When I ordered mine the large ones were $100 for 6.
And I got another deal due to who ordered them for me.
It really ticks me that 6 of them never made it home from whoever borrowed them.
They used to have a small 18 inch one they dont carry anymore.

Worth

[TC_Manhattan]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

How much does a medium Texas Tomato Cage cost ?

Gardeneer

Texas Tomato Cages come in 2 sizes: 20" diam. and 24" diam.
Both sizes are priced the same.

Worth is correct. 6 will cost you $169.00 including shipped to your door.

But.. you don't have to buy them in lots of six.
You can buy either lots of either 3 or 4, for $90. or $120. respectively including shipping, which is very little more than having to buy them in sixes.

Here's the link: http://www.tomatocage.com/shopping/Cages.html

Look this over carefully. First column prices them in sets that include a two-foot extension piece additionally.

Second column (from left) has the pricing for 1, 3, 4, etc.

Ask Worth which size he'd recommend. I think he talked about it recently in one of his threads.

BTW, those heavy duty ones you showed for $36 at Home Depot look like the ones I got for $9 apiece locally. Mine were made by Glamos Wire Co.
For the price, I'd say give the Texas ones a try. Everyone seems to swear by them.

[Worth1]

Open space and wide raised beds 24 is okay.
3 foot raised beds I would go with the 20 inch ones.
You cant bet them with a stick.
The only thing close is something I can make at home and will show on the do it yourself forum later this week.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

Well, the ones sold at HD is also made from 1/4" galvanized wire. There is no way to get them for $9.00. Yes , they are made by Glamos Wire. Maybe they have smaller versions too.
So the price is higher for the ones sold at HD. TTC have a clear advantage and that it they can be folded for easy storage.

[twillis2252]

Interesting information on support systems for tomatoes. Will be installing support for approximately 42 plants in main garden. Trying to decide which way to go. I am fortunate that I had access to a huge area of cane poles that needed cutting last year. Was able to cut almost 50 poles. Used some last year with individual plants. May do likewise this season.

[Gardeneer]

I have a few El Cheap ring type cages that I use on determinants. I support the cage by driving couple of cedar stakes and tying together. You can use nylon twin for tying . They are cheaper, stronger and won't stretch or rot. And easy to use.

Gardeneer

PS: Here is my support structure.

1- Determinants get shorted structure ( 4 ft) shown in the first photo.
2- Indets get 7ft tall structure. Second photo

Initially every plant get its own stake (4ft to 5ft). But the single stake is not adequate to support the plants as they grow and get taller and fuller.

[Shapshftr]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Let me second that advice about the sisal. It sags like crazy. The synthetic baler twine works a lot better, and is very cheap. However, it's a big pain to clean up when the season is over. The stuff never goes away. Next year I might try to use sisal just for the short pieces I use to tie the plant to the long runs of the synthetic twine.

My take on plant supports is that it all depends on how big your plants get, and a lot of that is a function of your soil. You don't know how big a variety is going to get until you try it in your particular garden.

My plants get huge, which sounds like I am bragging, but it is a curse when they get so big that they collapse my supports, and I lose most of the crop to bug bites from sitting on the ground and in the grass. Last year I built h-shaped posts out of 3/4" conduit. That worked for bushy determinates and dwarfs. Indeterminates collapsed it. This year, for my indeterminates, I am going to use up all my cattle panels first, by hanging them from t-posts. Then I am going to buy treated 2x4s and rip them longways to make two 2x2s. I'll make the same h-shaped posts, drill holes in them, and run multiple strings down each side of the row. I may have to brace some of them horizontally against the next row, too.

My supports never fall over anymore since I made these. I only grow large indeterminates and very heavy bearers. Also, not bragging, I grow them at least 7 ft tall and with stems an inch and a half in diameter at the base. My plants get lots of air circulation and stay up all season.

[hdrider]

I know this thread is over a year old and has been almost a year since the last post, but I just saw this and thought it might help some people understand the Florida Weave.
A quick video