Hi. I have caged and staked them also, and was really disappointed. I
think the secret is the type of tomatoes you grow.

Determinate don't put out growth that needs pruning. It should work well
with staking. Indeterminate keeps putting out new growth, and cages should
be the best, however, not the flimsy cheap ones you can buy just about
anywhere.

The best way is to get a roll of 3 to 4 ft fence and cut it in 6 ft lengths.
Roll each piece up and hook it together. Use fence that has at least 4 inch
square holes. That way you can reach inside and pick the fruit. Otherwise
you have to pick it by reaching over the top and down inside the cage.

On the bottom side, cut out the bottom strand of wire that is parallel with
the ground, making a 4 inch leg, every 4 inches. When you have your tomato
planted, you can set the cage over it and push it down into the ground 4
inches.
If you live in a high wind area, you may still have to put two posts into
the ground on either end of the row, and run a wire through your cages for
additional support.

Good luck. Dwayne





"cab97" wrote in message
m...
Hi all, last year i caged my tomatoes with not much success. any
other ideas to prevent plants from falling over. How do you stake
them? Thanks for your help.