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I have used the fence material for round cages and this is 'ok' (dh had our guys help him make some more but they are not really big enough) and also have used the cone shape ones from the store. Is there something else out there that might work better? I have about 30 plants so if I need to buy new I need to consider the cost as well. My garden is in the wide open area and we get horrible winds at times so I need all the help I can get to keep these in control. If you have pictures that would be great too. I look at the catalogs and see variety of styles but they can be pricey too and then the chance too of them not working well. Thanks for your input.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ladeuce,

I buy the really heavy ones at the farm store. About $3 each. The wire is so heavy, I can't bend it. I've been using the same ones for several years. The cheap ones from a big box store always bend. But 30 plants! Maybe start with a few each year?

I use the same kind as Dacia. They're designed like the cheap cone ones from most hardware/garden stores, but they're much larger and sturdier. Got them at the rural/farm supply store years ago. As long as I'm careful to tuck growing stems inside the cone every day or two, I never have to tie tomato plants up anymore.

I've made the Paul James fencing ones also...similar to these but with the larger holes and no top since squirrels leave mine alone.
They do take up a lot of space but last for a very long time. Maybe if you staked your cages some more it would help?
http://www.hgtv.com/landscapin...to-plants/index.html
I've seen the ones in the catalogs and they are so expensive, especially for so many plants!

here is a unique idea.. http://www.foogod.com/~torquill/barefoot/weave.html

i've never tried it but i like the natural way it looks as compared to the metal cages i've always used ~ and cheap ones at that where i have to stake them up with bamboo poles to keep them from falling over.

i miss fresh veggies and VE's beautiful gardens have me inspired and planning a new vegetable garden for next year in an area that is what i call 'winter lawn'. it grows in the wet season, e.g. our winter, and is brown all summer.

Thank you Bana!

Ladeuce - we use the netted fence wire for ours too. It is tall and heavy. Hubby drives a metal fence post into the ground and wires the cage to the fence post. This prevents the cage from toppling over because on this hillside, we can get some pretty stiff winds at times. The winds are the reason that we quit growing sweet corn in the garden, instead we just buy it at the farmers market. Anyway, one stake between two tomatos will support two cages. Hubby made our cages several years ago, they last forever.

ve

I use the cone shaped heavy ones & put in 5' lengths of rebar to hold them up. The rebar was fairly cheap and will last forever...down here you can't use wooden stakes...the termites eat them in about a month!
Bana, a lot of the older gardeners around here do that weave or they just run a piece of fence wire down one side of the tomatoes & tie them to the wire.

These are my favorite - wonky picture but I like them. They are easy to build, can be configured as a triangle, square, open sided, etc. Eye sc rews go on each side & a green coated rebar goes through the "eyes" and into the ground.

One panel...stagger the "eyes" and put two together by threading the rebar down through them.

2 posts, 4 dowels glues in...