Do You Really Need a Tomato Cage?
If you’re questioning investing in a tomato cage because you’re looking for an alternative, then we’ll be sure to hook you up with some DIY alternatives. If you’re asking the question utility-wise, you may want to read this through. Tomato cages are necessary for a number of reasons. Let us explain.
Benefits of Using a Tomato Cage
There are a couple of benefits to using a tomato cage — the most common one is that it supports your branches and keeps the plant from taking up extra ground space.
1. Plants take up less ground space
The key to getting a larger harvest? Plant more! But how will you do it if your plants and branches are spread all over the ground? The answer is tomato cages.
2. Help plants climb and avoid disease
When there’s fruit on your plants, it weighs the branches down. In the case of peppers and tomatoes, you must set up a system so your plant grows upright. If your produce is constantly in contact with the soil, you’re only giving way to insects, fungus, and other diseases. This is why having a tomato cage almost becomes compulsory.
3. Harvesting becomes easier
When the plants and leaves are spread all over the ground, you will constantly have to worry about accidentally stepping on them. This will prevent you from watering and pruning them properly. Secondly, once it’s time to harvest, you’ll have to go through the drudgery of bending down and picking fruits up from the ground. In other words, it will be easier for you to water, prune, and harvest if you invest in a cage.
4. Protect plants from cold
The cage provides a nice frame for you to wrap row covers around your plant. It helps you prepare for an early fall frost and short growing seasons.
5. Will support branches
You can rest the branches on your cage’s grid — this will prevent them from breaking and help the main stem maintain a balance. If you’re worried that your plant may tip over due to the weight, you can tie it to your cage and protect it from heavy winds.
Should I Use a Tomato Cage?
You’ve read the benefits as mentioned earlier, and if you’re looking for any of those things, you need to get a few tomato cages in your garden. Make sure you’ve got a place to store them during the off-season.
Are There Any Disadvantages To Using Tomato Cages?
Firstly, you’ll have to spend some extra time and effort sourcing them. Secondly, you will have to pull them out for storage and set them up each season. Lastly, if your tomato cage is not set up properly and falls, it may take down the plant with it.
DIY Tomato Cage Alternatives: Yes or No?
Unless you’ve got the manpower and time for it, we don’t suggest it. If you still want to go down the DIY route, you can plan ahead and make it happen. The goal is to support your plant and tomatoes with a strong structure. So what you need to do from day one is to place your tomatoes in rows, and once they’re tall enough, you have to bring in poles and weaves to lift the structure. We suggest going through a YouTube DIY tutorial for a better understanding.