Another bonus of using the cattle panels you made is that they can double as a protective hoop house type scenario to cover seedlings with insect or bird netting etc. Lay them down and it becomes a perfect cover.
My concrete re-wire cages have lasted more than a "few years" I would say. I have had them now for 15 years, always outside and they still are very sturdy. As for storage, yes, they are not ideal but I just stack them flat in a pyramid shape in the garden until spring. Enjoyed the show. JimE
Agreed i've had one roll that I've used for almost 30 years and multiple applications, including overhead trellises definitely rusty, but still very sturdy
@@HoustonSarratt Don't have that experience yet, but do have a friend who uses re-wire cages that his father used 40 years ago. 👍 The wire is rusty when you get it but never seems to get much worse or loose it's strength. Kind of like re-bar.
I agree. Mine are 20+ years old in a climate with high summer humidity and they have minimal degradation. Main problem is storing them over the winter. I always tie mine to two heavy stakes so they won’t blow over in high winds.
Excellent breakdown of options! Cattle panels aren't available in my area but I discovered galvanized fencing wire, so no rust, and with reusable zip ties I can store them flat in the off season😊
What I love about bamboo is the little “hooks” to tie onto that occur naturally along the canes. I got some special metal clips online to use with stakes to make a large tomato cage. We’ll see if they work!
Enjoyed the video and great ideas. Also the comparisons are very helpful as we may not give thought to the height of the plants. This is extremely helpful information for beginners and those who maynot garden from year to year. Thank you joe.
@@joegardenerTV Always enjoyed your TV series on PBS near Charlotte, NC, don't have tv's anymore but at least glad, I can at least see your shows on UA-cam!!!!! Thank you for the information you provide. Great help to us all.
The only sunny area I have is next to the walkway to my front door, so I support determinate tomatoes and peppers with tall conical tomato cages in the color black. Black recedes, which is aesthetically important for front yard veggie gardens imo
I love the options! I use a lot of bamboo. I did see some cattle panels secured to green metal posts with a unique bracket. What type of bracket are you using?? I would like to know. Thank you!
Thanks. At them time when I shot this video I was just using zip ties to secure the panels to T posts. But this spring, I started using a bracket designed by a guy who sent me some to try. I liked them so much a bought a lot more and have used them extensively in my garden. Way more secure and easy to work with. The company is onemanfencing.com.
Best tomato cages ever! Joe, do you find that the prongs that go into the ground bend and warp after a while (maybe hitting a rock or two in the ground!) What's your advice on straightening that wire? THANKS!
Yes indeed. But only a little. I always turn them upside down when I’m getting ready to put them out into the beds for the new season. That way I’m eye level with the prongs and I hand straighten. It usually is only on a couple per panel and that’s it. But never anything major. Even so it would be the same procedure. Just a simple hand straightening.
What type of support would be best for tall majesty palm? Mine is growing fast but bending and some of the leaves (though they look healthy) are breaking and need support. Are there better alternatives or would bamboo be best? Same issue with one of my Dieffenbachia (bent stem when I bought it) and it keeps on getting worse.
Bamboo is my go-to support option whenever it can provide the solution. It’s super strong, readily available and easy to work with. It also last for years. You can buy in at garden centers and online. I buy a lot of bamboo from Amazon. Just be sure you get the height and thickness that is sufficient for your plants. And to train your bent stems you can secure them to bamboo with Velcro garden strips or rubber coated wire. I hope that helps.
You could get an electric or cordless tool (I think it’s called a dremil (a handheld device that has a small round grinder on the end that takes off the birs. I’ve never done this so I’m just careful when I use them. 12 years so far and never once have I had a single incident. 🤞
Look at the UA-cam channel of Homestead and Chill…they have a video of how to do it. I made 8 of them last year…so easy and sturdy! I bought the flat precut panels from Home Depot so just had to bend them and attach zip ties to make them round.
Another bonus of using the cattle panels you made is that they can double as a protective hoop house type scenario to cover seedlings with insect or bird netting etc. Lay them down and it becomes a perfect cover.
Absolutely. I’ve done that too. I have lots of misc pieces I keep just for these reasons. 👍
My concrete re-wire cages have lasted more than a "few years" I would say. I have had them now for 15 years, always outside and they still are very sturdy.
As for storage, yes, they are not ideal but I just stack them flat in a pyramid shape in the garden until spring.
Enjoyed the show. JimE
Thanks. 👍
Agreed i've had one roll that I've used for almost 30 years and multiple applications, including overhead trellises definitely rusty, but still very sturdy
@@HoustonSarratt Don't have that experience yet, but do have a friend who uses re-wire cages that his father used 40 years ago. 👍
The wire is rusty when you get it but never seems to get much worse or loose it's strength. Kind of like re-bar.
I agree. Mine are 20+ years old in a climate with high summer humidity and they have minimal degradation. Main problem is storing them over the winter. I always tie mine to two heavy stakes so they won’t blow over in high winds.
@@janking2762 👍👍
Excellent breakdown of options! Cattle panels aren't available in my area but I discovered galvanized fencing wire, so no rust, and with reusable zip ties I can store them flat in the off season😊
Glad to hear you have another good option! 👍
What I love about bamboo is the little “hooks” to tie onto that occur naturally along the canes. I got some special metal clips online to use with stakes to make a large tomato cage. We’ll see if they work!
That's a great idea! I forget about those little barbs. 👍
Great video as always I’m about to grow some tomatoes now I can use the right stuff to grow them in thanks 🇳🇿❤️
Glad to help. Hope you have a great season! 👍
Enjoyed the video and great ideas. Also the comparisons are very helpful as we may not give thought to the height of the plants. This is extremely helpful information for beginners and those who maynot garden from year to year. Thank you joe.
Thanks very much! Really appreciate your comment! 👍
@@joegardenerTV Always enjoyed your TV series on PBS near Charlotte, NC, don't have tv's anymore but at least glad, I can at least see your shows on UA-cam!!!!! Thank you for the information you provide. Great help to us all.
Very useful tips in the garden. Thanks
Thanks. I’m glad you liked those.
The only sunny area I have is next to the walkway to my front door, so I support determinate tomatoes and peppers with tall conical tomato cages in the color black. Black recedes, which is aesthetically important for front yard veggie gardens imo
Excellent that you are able to source tall conical cages. I never see them tall enough around here.
I love the options! I use a lot of bamboo. I did see some cattle panels secured to green metal posts with a unique bracket. What type of bracket are you using?? I would like to know. Thank you!
Thanks. At them time when I shot this video I was just using zip ties to secure the panels to T posts. But this spring, I started using a bracket designed by a guy who sent me some to try. I liked them so much a bought a lot more and have used them extensively in my garden. Way more secure and easy to work with. The company is onemanfencing.com.
Liked it
Thanks!
Best tomato cages ever! Joe, do you find that the prongs that go into the ground bend and warp after a while (maybe hitting a rock or two in the ground!) What's your advice on straightening that wire? THANKS!
Yes indeed. But only a little. I always turn them upside down when I’m getting ready to put them out into the beds for the new season. That way I’m eye level with the prongs and I hand straighten. It usually is only on a couple per panel and that’s it. But never anything major. Even so it would be the same procedure. Just a simple hand straightening.
What type of support would be best for tall majesty palm? Mine is growing fast but bending and some of the leaves (though they look healthy) are breaking and need support. Are there better alternatives or would bamboo be best?
Same issue with one of my Dieffenbachia (bent stem when I bought it) and it keeps on getting worse.
Bamboo is my go-to support option whenever it can provide the solution. It’s super strong, readily available and easy to work with. It also last for years. You can buy in at garden centers and online. I buy a lot of bamboo from Amazon. Just be sure you get the height and thickness that is sufficient for your plants. And to train your bent stems you can secure them to bamboo with Velcro garden strips or rubber coated wire. I hope that helps.
What do you do about the sharp edges
You could get an electric or cordless tool (I think it’s called a dremil (a handheld device that has a small round grinder on the end that takes off the birs. I’ve never done this so I’m just careful when I use them. 12 years so far and never once have I had a single incident. 🤞
@@joegardenerTV thank you
How do you get the perfect bend on the galvanized option? What’s the trick?!
I'd guess he uses a board.
Look at the UA-cam channel of Homestead and Chill…they have a video of how to do it. I made 8 of them last year…so easy and sturdy! I bought the flat precut panels from Home Depot so just had to bend them and attach zip ties to make them round.
Here’s the video on how to do it. joegardener.com/video/the-ultimate-tomato-cage-in-5-simple-steps/
correct. Replied above with video on how I do it.
Heres my video on how to make and bend them: joegardener.com/video/the-ultimate-tomato-cage-in-5-simple-steps/
Thank You! I Appreciate your knowledge.🪴🪴🪴
My pleasure!