On 3/21/05 10:21 AM, in article ,
"ge" wrote:

After an embarassing number of years, we've come to the conclusion
that home-improvement store type tomato cages don't work, at least for
us and indeterminate tomatoes.

Is there some recognized 'good' support? Cost is an issue;
construction (including welding) isn't.

TIA,
George
This is the easiest, most effective way I have ever seen. I saw it done on
an organic farm and duplicated it last year with great success. It is a
simple cheap way to support tomatoes:
I plant my tomatoes in a row...I pound a 8' 2x2 into the ground at one end
of the row and another one at the other end. A third 2x2 is put on top of
the two in the ground...use long screws to secure the horizontal one to the
ones in the ground. (one screw per). Now above each tomato plant tie some
hay bale string (a coarse cheap twine) and let it hang down to the plant.
Leave extra lengths on top (wrap it around the horizontal pole). Tie the hay
twine to the base of the tomato plant. As the plant grows 'roll' the new
growth around the string...
My rows are longer than 8 feet so I have to put another vertical post in the
middle...
That is the general idea. Because there is no wire mesh in the way the
tomatoes are easy to harvest, to prune...etc. etc.
Gary