# Tomato basket question



## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Will these work,I'm no Gardner.welded these up out of hog panel they are 18" x18" x 4.5'. Am I on the right track here? The plants will be 19" on center. Gracious


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)




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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Look good to me. Mine are 24" but yours should work just fine. Look mighty strong good job. Only one thing missing no maters. LOL!


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Rubberback said:


> Look good to me. Mine are 24" but yours should work just fine. Look mighty strong good job. Only one thing missing no maters. LOL!


Haha. Thanks bud.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I like your set up. I've really gotten into gardening in boxes lately. I have 5 of these so far.


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Rubberback said:


> I like your set up. I've really gotten into gardening in boxes lately. I have 5 of these so far.


That's a hell of a setup you got going. Impressive!! This is all new to me but it's kinda fun and doesn't cost much to do. So why not


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## artch (Sep 15, 2015)

Leo he's like it will work. I use the concrete reinforcing wire in about a 18-24" diameter circle. The cattle panels would probably be easier to store


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

gom1 said:


> That's a hell of a setup you got going. Impressive!! This is all new to me but it's kinda fun and doesn't cost much to do. So why not


HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Homegrown maters are the best.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

gom1 said:


> .... Am I on the right track here? The plants will be 19" on center. Gracious


That's impressive, really nice....however, I would go for more space like 24" or actually more. I space 3ft between plants but that's probably more than most.

I'd buy some of those if they were available. Nice work!


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## Johnny9 (Sep 7, 2005)

I have 6 made from panels. Got 3 out of a panel. Best cages I have owned. Take a survey stake drive beside it and tie. Have found a wind yet to knock over.


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Meadowlark said:


> That's impressive, really nice....however, I would go for more space like 24" or actually more. I space 3ft between plants but that's probably more than most.
> 
> I'd buy some of those if they were available. Nice work!


Thank you sir,that's the kind of advice I need.may be spacing these further now.

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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

juan said:


> I have 6 made from panels. Got 3 out of a panel. Best cages I have owned. Take a survey stake drive beside it and tie. Have found a wind yet to knock over.


Yep.three per panel..$20 for a 16' panel....not a bad deal..they are stout!!

P

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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

I really like the looks of the cages! As a suggestion, might consider taking out every other one--give the vines more "breathing room", good reason to start another bed (if you need justification!)


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Very nice cages.They look so clean and straight.I plant tomatoes and squash 3' apart and 4' between rows.Some years they still get crowded.


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

I'm on the 15th yr with cement wire, I plant 4' apart. Cut wire every 11th and you should get 20 sumpin, then cut bottom wire off leaving the prongs to stick in ground..... plenty room inside


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I bought 2 rolls of cement wire years ago & made 30 cages for 200 bucks, I agree give plants a lot of room. Makes for easy harvest, better yields, & lets the plants have plenty of room to breath & grow to there full potential.
I have one garden that is 24' x 50' with 8 rows. I have another garden that is 16' x 24' that has only 3 rows. Some say its over kill but it really helps out.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Here's another reason for wide spacing. You can see the wide rows between the onions. When I hopefully harvest them I like to lay them apart from each other in the rows & let the sun dry them for a few hours maybe more depending on the heat.


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Looks good rb, noob question.how long will these tomato plants live before the heat kills them? Is direct sun too much? We tried them in pots and they croaked pretty fast so I don't have much faith.but hope the box works better and thanks all for advice for a dummy

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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Your not a dummy. You are always learning if your a gardener. I've learn a lot from coming right here. Everybody gardens different. Meadowlark & some others get maters till the first frost gets their vines. 
I get hot and lazy & after July I'm done with maters. I'll let lark give you some tips on prolonging the mater season. I've read his advice & it works for him. That is why I tell people on TTMB to post down here these guys will help you. They may not respond real fast but they will help you.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

gom1 said:


> Looks good rb, noob question.how long will these tomato plants live before the heat kills them? Is direct sun too much? ...


Gom1,

In my experience, tomato plants started in late Feb./early March and planted in full sun will last until maybe mid-July. To extend your production, plant some later around April 1 or even after and give them afternoon shade after about 2:30pm or so. Full sun until then, but complete shade in late afternoon. This approach has allowed me to extend production all the way into September. Now, don't expect those plants to produce the same way an early plant will in spring, but they will bloom and set fruit all the way into fall through the hottest temps.

Also, the heatmaster is my personal favorite type tomato for this extended harvest approach. I have had some difficulty getting heatmaster seeds to germinate, but they are outstanding in the highest summer temps at setting and holding fruit. I have done this also with celebrity and with a roma variety I grow.

Good gardening!


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Meadowlark said:


> Gom1,
> 
> In my experience, tomato plants started in late Feb./early March and planted in full sun will last until maybe mid-July. To extend your production, plant some later around April 1 or even after and give them afternoon shade after about 2:30pm or so. Full sun until then, but complete shade in late afternoon. This approach has allowed me to extend production all the way into September. Now, don't expect those plants to produce the same way an early plant will in spring, but they will bloom and set fruit all the way into fall through the hottest temps.
> 
> ...


Awesome. Thanks! At least I know what to expect now,we don't seem to have very good soil where I'm at "its all rocks" that's my excuse if this doesn't work out .

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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

RB when I bought my first roll it was 39$ the last I bought was under 100$, you must make yours bigger than I did, if I remember right I got 20sumpin per roll cutting in between 11th and the 12th making the basket about 18" across,yours must be close to 24". One thing I did have to do last yr was cut off the bottom stakes as rust finally got them, now they are 6" shorter


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

wet dreams said:


> RB when I bought my first roll it was 39$ the last I bought was under 100$, you must make yours bigger than I did, if I remember right I got 20sumpin per roll cutting in between 11th and the 12th making the basket about 18" across,yours must be close to 24". One thing I did have to do last yr was cut off the bottom stakes as rust finally got them, now they are 6" shorter


Yes sir you are correct. When I first built them I thought those are way to big. Wrong, Mater plants get very big. I always stake the cages down. It gets windy on this hill I live on. 
I stake them which I've already done & next step I'll do is cage them. They will last my life time & probably my sons as well.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Meadowlark said:


> Gom1,
> 
> In my experience, tomato plants started in late Feb./early March and planted in full sun will last until maybe mid-July. To extend your production, plant some later around April 1 or even after and give them afternoon shade after about 2:30pm or so. Full sun until then, but complete shade in late afternoon. This approach has allowed me to extend production all the way into September. Now, don't expect those plants to produce the same way an early plant will in spring, but they will bloom and set fruit all the way into fall through the hottest temps.
> 
> ...


I keep watering mine in the summer when they quit producing to keep them alive into fall,but get very few to ripen,with wheel barrels full of green tomatoes to have to get creative and figure something out to do with them.Dad says one of our old aunts would pull the vines up at 1st frost and hang them,vine,tomatoes and all in the barn,and would have tomatoes until Christmas.He said they're not near as good as early summer but at least she had some.


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

I bought some of the grow bags to try and extend my tomato season. It will be a pain to move them back and forth but hopefully worth it.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

I agree with Lark on tomato plant spacing @ about 3ft between plants in a row. You really don't lose much production with this spacing because the plants will not be competing as much for nutrients and sunlight. Each plant will be more productive than a crowded plant.

The biggest gain however is a reduced chance of virus and bacterial infection problems. If you are in an area that gets heavy morning dews, or lots of little rains, this is especially important. Wet leaves are a vector for diseases to begin. You want your plants spaced far enough apart so that the leaves will dry as soon as possible. More space between plants allows sun and breeze to dry them faster.

I also use the 5ft wire mesh used for concrete reinforcing. This is used to make round cages. Instead of staking each cage to prevent the wind from tipping them, try this: I pound in a 6ft steel fence post between every 6 cages. Then string electric fence wire through the top squares of all six of the cages. The wire is wrapped and tightened around the posts, then I use wire ties (2/cage... one where the wire enters the cage, and one at the exit point) to tighten the cages to the electric fence wire.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Dick Hanks said:


> I agree with Lark on tomato plant spacing @ about 3ft between plants in a row. You really don't lose much production with this spacing because the plants will not be competing as much for nutrients and sunlight. Each plant will be more productive than a crowded plant.
> 
> The biggest gain however is a reduced chance of virus and bacterial infection problems. If you are in an area that gets heavy morning dews, or lots of little rains, this is especially important. Wet leaves are a vector for diseases to begin. You want your plants spaced far enough apart so that the leaves will dry as soon as possible. More space between plants allows sun and breeze to dry them faster.
> 
> I also use the 5ft wire mesh used for concrete reinforcing. This is used to make round cages. Instead of staking each cage to prevent the wind from tipping them, try this: I pound in a 6ft steel fence post between every 6 cages. Then string electric fence wire through the top squares of all six of the cages. The wire is wrapped and tightened around the posts, then I use wire ties (2/cage... one where the wire enters the cage, and one at the exit point) to tighten the cages to the electric fence wire.


The steel post with wire through the cages is what I done this year and I was so proud of myself for coming up with that idea.I even used the cable ties.That funny stuff right there.I bow down before you Mr.Hanks.


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