Tomato Cages from Scrap Wood

Uncaged

Walls feel like they are pressing in, a slight feeling of panic creeps up  my body and I feel the need to breath like when you are under water and you feel the need to come up for air.  For me that is what it is like when I spend all day inside away from sunlight and a fresh breeze blowing gently across my skin. 

Spending all day inside is just not good for me emotionally.  So when I got home from a meeting that had taken a little over half the day in a room with no windows I felt a pressing desire to go outside in my garden.

I didn’t have much daylight left however I was determined that I could accomplish something with the little time I had left.  I looked around after watering in our greenhouse and saw our uncaged tomatoes. “Ah ha!” I thought, I may not be able to make all the cages I need but I can make some.

We have truly been blessed with so many tomato plants that I ran out of cages; I need to make at least 20 cages.  So I determined to make at least one cage before the sun went down.

Step #1

I grabbed 4 slates from a deck that we are taking apart.  They may not work as a railing anymore but they can hold up tomato plants.

Step#2

With a pencil I marked 12 smaller sections of wood for the cross sections.

Step #3

I cut the 12 smaller cross sections of wood.

Step#4

I laid down 2 tall slates of wood. Then across the 2 slates I laid 3 smaller sections of wood.

Step#5

I screwed down the smaller sections.

Step#6

I then repeated the process for the opposite side of the cage.

Step#7

I stood the 2 sides I had built on their sides. Then laid 3 smaller sections of wood across the 2 sides.

Step#8

I screwed these 3 smaller sections down.

Step#9

I flipped over the side I had just screwed down so that it was now on the ground and the 1 unfinished side was facing up.

Step#10

I placed the last 3 smaller sections across the sides.

Step#11

I screwed down the 3 smaller sections.

Step#12

I took a rubber mallet and pounded the corners of the cage into the wet dirt.

As the sun went down I had completed two cages and I felt like I could breathe again.

Materials

Wood slates- from a broken deck  0.00

Screws- from a broken deck             0.00

Total Cost

0.00