On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 23:11:24 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:


"Frogleg" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 18:53:10 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:

Frogleg wrote:

On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 01:57:16 GMT, "FDR" wrote

Looking through the Garden Tools by Lee Valley catalog, I came across
a
tomato staking method using spirals. Basically, it's a 6 foot long
piece of
metal that you push into the ground and it is spiraled all the way
up.

I like those cages from Gardener's supply too, but I can't see myself
paying
so much for them. If they were cheaper I'd definitely get them.

Go somewhere like Home Depot and get a roll of 6" mesh concrete
reinforcing wire. Ask about what kind of tool you need to cut the
wire.

Here's a rough illustration and directions:


http://www.extension.umn.edu/project...37trellis.html

This page suggests tying the cage to a stake, but if you snip off the
bottom wire, you'll have a 6" multi-spike perimeter to put into the
ground. These are sturdy, last for years and years, and do a good job
of supporting the tomatoes.

Though they are certainly sturdy, I don't think they'd be for me since my
wife wouldn't appreciate the aesthetics or lack of easy storage capability.

My dad used to just plant tomatoes in a row, and then make a tomato
support system that looked like rail fences. He'd have uprights to
pound into the ground, and use whatever scrap lumber he had around to
make rails 2 or 3 of them several inches apart so you can reach
between them to pick the fruit.

If you are into aesthetics of unpainted scrap wood, paint it, you'll
never know it's scrap. If you can't find scrap or don't want to, then
buy wood, paint it white just like those white rail fences they show
around the fields in Kentucky where they raise horses. Or buy some of
that plastic stuff that can be drilled like wood, already the color
you want it.

They're easy to make anyone can lay pieces of wood across upright
stakes, and pound a few nails or put a few screws through it into the
uprights. you can put stabilizers across the gap between the rails on
either side of the tomato plants, You can nail or screw them in, or
notch toward the ends so they can just slip over the tops of the rails
on either side and use one between every .. or every other tomato
plant to keep the rails stable. Cross pieces should be used at least
at each end. The longer the row the greater the need for stabilizers.
I'd just make them in convenient lengths, 8' 10' whatever length
lumber you have or want to use. All depends on how many plants you
plant. I used to end up with around 40 plants each year.

They're easy to store in that they are flat so each side can be laid
one against the other and lean them against a shed wall, or inside the
shed if you have a big one, or along side the wall of a garage or
suspended overhead.

You can alter things to suit your needs. ;-)

Janice