Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Grappling with the big questions

Are these worth the money (three ladders for $50)? I hate the tomato cages I had last year. They came with the house, and were the conical type. They leaned over when the plants got top heavy, and took up too much room in my raised beds. I have one tomato spiral that I use periodically, and it doesn't work worth beans. I vow after each time I use it to never use it again.

I like the idea of a ladder because I could tie the plant to it as it grows, and easily get at the fruit. The other thing I'm thinking of is to get a bunch of 6' bamboo and put three posts of bamboo around each plant. It's cheaper (about $35-$40), but I don't know how that will work. So, dear readers, what do you use? I know some of you are intrepid and experienced gardeners, so I would appreciate your opinion.

4 comments:

  1. I just bought some of these from Gardener's Supply. They arrived last week. I can't tell you anything about how they will work but they are super heavy duty. I bought 6 with the hopes that if they are really good - I'll add a few each year. I got the red ones - for tomatoes, of course!

    Charlene in Kentucky

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  2. NOT that I can grow big, bushy, need-to-be-supported tomatoes up here (!), but I have always just used lengths of rebar. (Usually available at any lumber yard.) When I plant the tomato, I pound one length (maybe 5') into the soil for about a foot -- right next to the plant. As the tomato grows, I keep tying it up with strips of old fabric. The rebar quickly disappears and you don't even see it. If a plant gets particularly big and bushy, I've been known to insert another piece of rebar for more support.

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  3. I used cone cages, and found the ones at tractor supply to be heavy enough for most of my plants. Walmart ones were lighter and tippier!

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Hi, sorry to make the humans do an extra step.