Please Help

topic posted Tue, July 10, 2007 - 7:37 AM by  Unsubscribed
Last night my lovely organic tomato's were beat down by an Oklahoma thunderstorm and are now all bent :( I'm so sad.... I don't know what to do ....I had the biggest plants this year ever. And I have the biggest tomato cages I could find around them. There are other big storms headed my way so anybody got any ideas on how I can help them to survive the winds?!! Any ideas would be helpful
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  • Re: Please Help

    Tue, July 10, 2007 - 9:38 PM
    Got sheets? Try putting them over the plant and cage and tying them at the base. If they are fairly tight, the sheets will flap less and therefore damage the plant less.
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      Re: Please Help

      Thu, July 12, 2007 - 8:22 AM
      I may try that thanks!
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        Re: Please Help

        Mon, July 16, 2007 - 5:18 PM
        This may be too late, but what about running a piece of wood through the bottom of the cage (I'm guessing here that it may be one of those that is made of a section of fencing?) and securing that to the cage with some wire? A spare 2 x 4, some larger branches you've been meaning to prune anyways, something of that sort. That would effectively broaden the base of the cage (as well as add weight down low, thereby lowering the center of gravity for the whole thing).

        I went the route of trying to guywire my cages last year. That worked for awhile, but I should have anchored the ends better (spare bricks would do nicely, I think).

        Hope you find something that works. Let us know if you do, as none of the rest of us want our tomatoes knocked down in a storm either!

        P
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          Re: Please Help

          Mon, July 16, 2007 - 11:04 PM
          I think I have worked it out with extra compost, putting down some straw and extra cages. I was needing to put in the straw as a mulch for a while any how, and the extra dirt and support at the bottom of the plants seems to have really made a difference as the windy summer storms always blow in form the west. But next year I am planting something as a wind breaker....maybe sun flowers MMMmmmm.....
          • Re: Please Help

            Wed, September 5, 2007 - 6:11 PM
            The best material for cages is metal concrete forms....they are about 2.50 at Home Depot. They come flat. Just bend into a circle and support with wood stakes.(or not, once the plants start growing, the forms don't move)...They are sturdy, allow air to flow freely, and you can use them year after year. Plant the plants on the inside and it supports the plants naturally without using extra support. They also look great in the garden.
            • Re: Please Help

              Thu, September 6, 2007 - 12:07 AM
              do you have a picture, wildsage,- I dont quite get it, but it sounds like a good idea!
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                Re: Please Help

                Thu, September 6, 2007 - 5:58 AM
                It's like fencing, only without the niceties of paint and all. And in smaller, more manageable sections. Most big building suppliers would have it on hand for use in reinforcing concrete. They might refer to it as steel fabric or welded wire mesh. Google the latter for lots of images.
                • Re: Please Help

                  Thu, September 6, 2007 - 9:07 AM
                  except the holes are much larger......4-6 inches....so its easy to pick and prune the tomatoes.....its also a great trellis for anything that climbs.....Passion fruit and kiwi work well....I will get a picture for you later today.
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                    Re: Please Help

                    Thu, September 6, 2007 - 11:37 PM
                    I saw a photo in some magazine where the weldedwire was used over arches of pvc. It was a tunnel of vining veggies and flowers. Very nice.
                    • Re: Please Help

                      Fri, September 7, 2007 - 4:25 AM
                      got it wildsage. no need, thanks to thegardener! ;-))
                      • Re: Please Help

                        Fri, September 7, 2007 - 4:32 AM
                        this has got me thinking,.. I am trying to figure an attractive way to keep my raspberries..
                        my garden is essentially a place for relaxation and parties.. and the veg part is arranged so it looks like a sundial, the compost is hidden, the apple tree frames a little pond,. its all supposed to be nice to look at too.. but raspberies are tricky that way..

                        I am thinking of a shaped structure that will look good whether the plants are cut low or climbing high,- and of course can be managed easily..

                        hmm..
                        • Re: Please Help

                          Sun, September 9, 2007 - 9:33 PM
                          I have also used these wire sheets for rasberries as well.....and they work great!....I just nailed them onto a 4 x 4 post....which I cemented into the ground..... I do have to start by tying them to the wire for support ....make sure you leave enough room behind the posts so that you have enough room to move around, fertilize, trim and pick the rasberries...

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