Our Roma tomatoes tied up neatly with the Stake A Cage
You may chuckle at the name – but “Stake-A-Cage” really is the best way to describe the trellis system we came up with a few years ago to effectively and inexpensively tie up our tomatoes and peppers. We get a lot of questions about it on the blog – so we thought today we would explain it in detail, along with details at the end of the post on how to make your own.
A few years back, with the garden planted, and about 45 tomato plants growing quicker than we imagined – we knew we needed to give them support and fast! After suffering sticker shock at the prices of tomato cages and stakes in the store, we decided to see what we could come up with ourselves.
We had some left-over welded wire fencing from building the outdoor run for the chicken coop, along with wooden stakes we had used to stake out the area where the coop and barn would go. So – in desperate need to tie up some tomato plants that were falling over – we used wire cutters to quickly cut the fencing into small grid panels. Next, we attached them to the wooden stakes with fencing nails we had on hand – and the Stake-A-Cage was born.
The Stake-A-Cages in use in our garden early in the season. They provide strong support and are easy to tie as they grow
The tomatoes and peppers mid-season. The open cage and strong support of the stake keep the tomatoes growing up and keep the rows neat and clean
We made smaller stake a cages for our peppers as well – here, our banana peppers are neatly tied to the cage
The cages full in late summer. As you can see – they support the massive growth with ease
After we put a few up – we started realizing that we had something! Not only did they go together easily – they looked great and had a lot of advantages over the commercial cages or old wooden stakes we had used in the past.
For starters, it combines the best of the two old ways used to tie up tomatoes; the strength of strong wooden stake with the ease of a wire trellis cage.
Although stakes are strong in the soil – it’s always been hard to tie the vines to them as the plants grow larger throughout the season. And although cages provide a better support for the tomato plants – they become hard to pick through as the plants grow. Not to mention our cages always seemed grow right out of the ground and topple over as the season progressed.
Hence, the use of the Stake A Cage. The support of a 4′ long wooden stake – attached to an open-faced wire mesh grid. Strong and durable and cheap! It combines the durability of staking tomatoes with the ease of a cage. Better yet, by keeping the wire grid flat and not making a true cage – you can tie your tomatoes easily to the grid – and when it comes time to pick – you won’t have to reach through the cages to get to the goods. The fruit and vegetables are right in front of you – and easy to harvest.
We have used ours now for three seasons and they are still going strong – and you can make them yourself with little effort for about $2 a piece! That’s a far cry from the $5 to $25 you can pay for cages, stakes and trellises found in the stores!
How To Make Them:
Materials Needed:
Wire Cutters, Hammer, A Chop Saw or Jig Saw
2×2 Lumber For Stakes
Fencing Nails (Sometimes referred to as U – Nails)
30″ High Welded Wire Galvanized Fence with 2″ x 4″ Mesh Grid (You can buy a 25′ roll which makes enough for about 16 cages for tomatoes, or 25 for peppers)
A simple weld wire screen on a stake, and you have the ultimate tomato trellis
The Stakes:
There are a couple of options to make or buy your stakes. If you are starting from scratch, the easiest option is to buy inexpensive 2x2x8 framing lumber at your local home improvement / lumber store (usually for around$1.25. each) If you buy them in the standard 8′ pieces, you can simply cut in half to make 2 from each board.
After using up the grade stakes we had on hand, we made the remainder of our stakes from scrap 2×4′s and 2×6′s. Running them through the table saw lengthwise to make 2×2′s and then cutting them into 4 foot pieces.
To make a sharp point on the stakes – we then used a chop saw (jig saw works great too) to cut angled points into the end of one side. If you angle all four sides – it makes for a sharper point to drive into the ground.
***One extra note here: Since we use these in the garden and around our plants – we have always used regular, untreated lumber. Yes, it’s true that it will not last as long as treated lumber – but if you store them each winter – you should be able to use them for a good 5 years. When they do start to go bad – you can simply remove the metal grid, and put on a new stake for the next 5 years! The wire mesh is galvanized, so it will not rust and can be re-used over and over.
Standard Fence Nails work great to secure the mesh to the stake
Once you have your stakes ready – the rest is a piece of cake! Roll out the galvanized welded wire roll, and using wire cutters - just snip off 18″ wide sections for tomatoes, or 12″ sections if you will be using them for peppers.
Center the wire grid on the stake with the bottom of the wire about 16″ from the bottom of the stake. (This is to allow the stake to be driven in to that depth) Then nail in 3 fencing nails, securing the wire to the stake. You have your very own Stake-A-Cage!
- Jim and Mary
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Shared On Gnowfglins, The Chicken Chick Blog Hop
What do you use to tie your tomato plants to the cage? I have tried a few things without much success
Casey – We have tried a lot of things over the years as well – and what seems to work best for us, and at very little cost – is to use a thick all natural yarn. We can buy a 500′ spool for under $5 – and can even get in green to blend in with the plants. It has worked well the last few years. Jim
I’ve used pantyhose, works great! I just cut horizontal across the legs, get a bunch of rings and cut the rings. If its not long enough, I tie two or three together. It doesn’t dig into the plant and the knots never come loose.
Now why didn’t I think of that? I love this idea, so simple yet so much better than the store-bought tomato cages! I love your blog!
It really is simple to do and works so well! Glad you like the blog!
How deep do you drive the stakes?
We drive them in about 14 to 16″ – right down to where the cage bottom almost touches the ground – this way you can tie up the plants earlier and it gives them added protection.
What a great idea….I will be making use of your wisdom this season..Thanks. As far as how to tie the plants I use the green velcro that comes in rolls 1/2 inch wide. I cut it into 4-6 inch lengths. You can buy it at a store like Home Depot, or Walmart. what is great is that you can move and re-use and re-tie easily over and over during the season as needed. It is so much easier than any kind of string.
Do you trim your tomato plants regularly so that you are only growing one main stalk? We had a plant that grew everywhere this last year, it was about 4′ tall and 3′ to 4′ foot across and 2′ deep, the first time I cut it back! But it didn’t produce many tomatoes. One of the guides I read said to trim all the “sucker” branches off and just grow the main stem up. What advice can you give me from your experience? Thanks!
We trim only the bottom suckers off to allow a little light and air to the bottom of the plant. It makes it easier to water at the base level – and I really believe keeping those bottom areas clear keeps away a lot of wilt and pest problems. As for the top – we let the plants spread out beyond the main stem. Hope that helps! Jim
What flippin fabuloso idea! Such a simple and obvious solution and yet I never would have thought of it! No need for Toms to be tied to stakes and suffering broken stems where they flop over – your system gives them complete support.
I don’t grow Toms to the degree you do as the climate here doesn’t really agree with them but this system is definitely a must for even just a few plants.
Thank you for sharing this.
Linda
Linda – It really helps keep the plants up and helps them ripen a lot quicker as well – thanks so much for stopping by the blog!
I’m so happy you did a post on this! I just came across your blog a few days ago and had already pinned your Stake-A-Cage idea, but now I know how you actually do it. Thanks so much! Do you ever have an issue with the tomatoes getting too tall for the cages? My Mom’s tomatoes got crazy tall last year, and 3 feet wouldn’t have been enough. Any solutions if they get out of control?
Becky – we do grow some bigger types of tomatoes that get a little larger than the 3′ grid. For those – we just made some larger ones with 5 to 6′ stakes and a longer grid. It works great for bigger plants! Glad the post was timely for you! Jim
to what side do you put the cage. my rows run north to south……or does it matter?
Hi Terri – we have our cage on the north side behind our plants – so the sun has full view of the plants. With the open grid – it probably wouldn’t make too much difference – the light would still get through to the plants. Hope that helps! Jim
That is a great Idea! I usually use metal T-post but I may try this!
T-Posts are another good option!
I was just reviewing the cost of the traditional cages. The products sold are not as sturdy as they used to be. Pretty cheap thin metal. Mine come apart after 2 seasons as they are not soddered together well. So here is a great solution. Thanks…. it is on the honeydoo list for this winter. A great winter project. I need 10 for tomatoes and 10 for peppers. thanks!!!
How close do you plant to the stakes? And do you have any suggestions on keeping cucumbers off the ground. Love your blog… alot of great ideas.. we usually till, but my husband will have to have stomach surgery in a few weeks, so the raised beds for me is going to great. Thanks again…
Michelle…I am just a family gardner, but my husband and I bought some of that white plastic trellis for our cukes. We got a 2″ x 2″ x 8′ post and cut it in half, pointed the ends, and hammered them into the ground. We bought a 4′ x 8′ piece of white plastic lattice and cut it in half. We then used the zip ties that hold computer wires together to attach the lattice to our poles and then put a couple of nails into each post to attach it to the box itself, just for extra strength. You just weave their little tendrils through and around the lattice and they grow just fine.
Hope this helps with your cukes.
we plant about 4 to 6″ inches in front of the stakes – good luck with your garden this year!
It is amazing how cheap they build the store bought cages and stakes now! Good luck on this year’s garden!
my ex-wife and I did this with our garden for years — it was actually her idea. And, yes, it works great!
That’s great Jimi! Isn’t it amazing how well it holds up the tomatoes for easy picking!
Hi,
We found you from the Six Sisters Blog Hop. You have some great ideas and we would like for you to share with our readers too. We are hosting our first link party tomorrow and we would like to invite you to link up with us. We have a fun blog to co-host with us. Hope to see you there.
Thanks!
The Busy Bee’s,
Myrna and Joye.
http://thebusybhive.blogspot.com/
Absolutely brilliant! It’s amazing what you can come up with through trial and error.
can the same idea be used for pole beans ? and spinach ? both are vines type plants , so what would you say about it : ) ?
Is it really a cage? Hard to see up close! It looks like a stake nailed to a piece of fencing like a trellis, not a circular cage, is that correct?
Ronnie – That exactly what it is. By using rolled fencing – the fencing has a tendency to curl a little giving the impression of a cage. It works wonders to tie up tomatoes.
Just looking for clarification, you don’t actually close the circle? I have tried to make these but I closed them off with zip lines. What about 4×4 blocks rather than the 2×4?
Mary – you are correct -we do not close the circle. I think the 4 x 4 blocks would work well too – we just happened to have the 2 x 4 fencing around the first time so have always stayed with it. Jim
can the same idea be used for pole beans ? and spinach ? both are vines type plants , so what would you say about it : ) ?????
We actually used ours last year for our climbing beans and it worked great. Im not sure about the spinach – it is the one vegetable I have never liked and never grown
:)
How do you store these when the planting time is over? I’m in Michigan and as you know we only have about 6 months of actual garden time.
Luke – we pull them off, and store them flat on top of each other in our barn in a corner. They don’t take up to much space at all that way. I am beginning to think with the cold weather here in Ohio we are going to only have 4 months to grow!
Jim
Great idea! I have cages made from wire used on concrete. I think I will cut them in half or thirds. They should be easier to store too! Thanks!
I just use old t-post cut in half. Works like a charm.
Do you also weave the branches through the squares for support or do you just tie them? I can’ wait to try it this year!
I’m going to give this a try using the rebar I use every winter to line out long driveway with solar lights ( make ti easier to know where to plow the snow from) These are stored away for the summer taking up space in the shed anyhow. Zip ties to the rescue and will probably use two pieces of rebar per “stake ” for added strength
Thanks for the idea!!!
That sounds like a perfect way to do it! Good luck and let us know how it works for you! Jim and Mary
I use cattle panels and T-posts. Panels are 50” by 16′ and the spaces are about 8 -10 inches square. I often grow cucumbers and smaller mellons on the trellis (tie them up in little hammocks made with panty hose or fabric). Same idea, just make sure of you need to reach throuh that the space is big enough for your hand and the biggest tomato.
That is a another perfect way to do it! I love hearing all of the ways people come up with to trellis them! Jim
Question for you… I noticed in your photo that you alternate rows of tomatoes and peppers. What is your reasoning for this?
That is a great question – not everyone notices that
. We alternate because the tomatoes tend to grow much bigger as a plant than the peppers – and by alternating them – it allows for more sunlight to reach them and help ripen and give more airflow overall to the garden. We also spread them out like that to avoid the possibility of spreading disease in case the plants become infected or infested with bugs….we can keep it from spreading so quickly. Little things but they all add up to make a difference. – Jim
Rebar and concrete reinforcing wire work nicely. The concrete reinforcing wire is sturdy enough to stand up under the weight of the heaviest producers, high enough after you bend it into a circle to support very tall plants, and the gaps between the wires are large enough to reach through to harvest your crops. Most places that sell rebar have rebar cutters and will cut it up into stakes for a small fee and you can always just use a cutoff wheel instead.
Stakes only need to be a couple feet long so you can drive them in around a foot and have about a foot of stake against the cage to secure it with using rebar wire or whatever you choose. It all rusts but that just ensures that your soil won’t be deficient in iron.
Of course you can always just secure the reinforcing wire between a couple posts without bending it into a circle so that you have a flat trellis for the tomatoes and whatever other vining plants you might plant with them, too.
Instead of fencing wire could I use wire hardware cloth? I don’t have need of a whole roll of fencing in my very tiny garden.
Hardware cloth is THE way to go when you want it to last. It’s the best material to use on the bottoms of your raised beds to keep burrowers like gophers out of your crops. As long as you have it securely fastened, it will serve you well for years to come, even if it’s buried.
How do you handle crop rotation with this system? Love the idea, but with some of the new tomato viruses that have popped up, crop rotation seems to be the only way to prevent the spread of the disease.
I’ve been using the same tomato cages for over 20 years now. We started with one roll of concrete wire. Cut enough off the roll to make a complete circle, probably two feet wide. Cut the raw edge of one side to make prongs to bend over the other side making a circle. On the bottom, same thing, cut prongs from each of the downward facing wire so we could push the prongs into the soil to help hold the cages upright in case of strong wind.
Now over 20 years, still using the same cages. I don’t have to tie anything up and no fruit is spoiled on the ground. Everything just grows right up in the cage. My tomatoes usually top out at about 6ft or so, over my head anyway. Good old chicken compost. At the end of the season, I clean the cages out and stack in my garden till the next Spring.
Now that is the ultimate re-using story! And yes, chicken compost is amazing isn’t it?!!!!
My husband and I just built 52 stake a cages!! Thanks for the awesome idea