CORVALLIS, Ore. — Giving tomato plants a sturdy support keeps leaves and fruit off the soil and can increase yields.
If tomatoes sprawl on the ground, the fruit can rot, animals can damage it and soilborne diseases can spread to the plant. Because most tomato diseases start in the soil, lifting plants up on a support makes a noticeable difference.
You can buy ready-made cages at garden centers, but some are flimsy. Gardeners can also build their own durable structures from rolls of mesh sold at home improvement stores.
“Gardeners I know have used concrete reinforcing wire for decades,” said Sherry Sheng, a Master Gardener volunteer in Clackamas County. “At the end of the season you can stack three or four together and roll them up for storage. It’s a long-lasting solution.”
Plan for variety and size
Early in the season, think about how you want to use your tomatoes — for salads, sandwiches, sauce or canning — and then choose varieties by reading seed catalogs or talking with local Master Gardener volunteers.
Once you have a list, read the plant labels to find out whether varieties are determinate or indeterminate, Sheng said. The growth habit determines how much support you need.
Determinate tomatoes
A determinate variety is bred to grow to a compact height of about 3 feet and ripens fruit within a couple of weeks from late July to early August. A 2-by-2-inch wooden stake is usually enough to support each main stem. Old nylon stockings or strips of fabric make good ties that will not cut into stems.
Indeterminate tomatoes
Indeterminate or vining tomatoes grow about 6 to 10 feet tall and produce fruit throughout the growing season. They need more room and stronger support to flourish.
How to build a wire tomato cage
For indeterminate tomato varieties, Sheng suggested a homemade cage built from concrete reinforcing mesh.
- Buy a roll of concrete reinforcing mesh made of stiff 9- or 10-gauge wire. Look for a roll about 150 feet long and 5 feet tall. Using 5-foot sections for each cage, one roll can make about 30 cages. The mesh can also support other vining plants or be used for fencing.
- Use a bolt cutter to slice the mesh into the panel size you want. Make sure one end has a row of straight vertical wire and the other has wire ends that can be bent into hooks.
- A 5-foot panel will form a cage about 18 inches in diameter. A 6-foot panel will form a cage about 23 inches in diameter. Cut longer panels for larger cages.
- With pliers, bend the prongs at 90 degrees to form hooks. Link the hooks to the straight vertical wires to form the cage cylinder.
- Cut and remove some horizontal wires at the bottom to leave 6-inch spikes for legs so the cage can be pushed into the ground.
Finish these do-it-yourself structures by April, before planting begins. The wire will rust over time but should last for years. Prune tomato plants in July and August to help keep growth inside the cage.
Learn more
For more information on growing tomatoes, consult OSU Extension's Grow your own tomatoes and tomatillos.
