Follow these seven steps to building a wooden tomato cage that will keep your tomatoes healthy and happy.
Materials needed:
4 1-inch x 2-inch pieces of wood, at least 48 inches long
4 (or more) 3/8-inch or ½-inch wooden dowels
Drill with ½-inch or 5/8-inch bit
Saw
Building directions:
1. Cut 1x2s into 48 to 54-inch lengths. Cut points at one end of each length.
2. Cut dowels in half.
3. Drill 4 holes in the 2-inch side of each 1x2, starting 18 inches from the pointed end and spaced 6 to 10 inches apart.
4. Turn the pieces 90 degrees and drill 4 more holes, about 1 inch above each of the first set.
5. To use: Insert the posts in the ground around the tomato at least 8 inches deep, spacing them about 14 inches apart in either direction.
6. Thread one dowel through the first pair of holes. Thread the second dowel through the first pair on the adjoining side. Thread the remaining dowels opposite these.
7. As the plant grows, remove the lowest dowel and move it up to the next set of holes. You can also cut more dowels and insert them all when setting up the cage.
