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Building DIY tomato cages is a great project for anyone, and doesn’t take much time. If you want to learn how to make tomato cages that are super sturdy and strong, then this is for you!
I don’t know about you, but properly supporting my tomato plants used to be a huge struggle for me!
I would spend hours trying to stake and tie them back, only to watch them flop to the ground after the first bit of wind or rain.
What a pain! It was a constant battle for me every summer, and it was always so frustrating.
Well no more of that nonsense. I finally found the perfect solution. I built my own DIY sturdy tomato cages, and you can too.
Why You Need Sturdy Tomato Cages
Over the years, I have tried different sizes and strengths of commercial cages – all of them have collapsed under the weight of my full grown indeterminate tomato plants.
So I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands, and build them myself. These are by far the best tomato cages I’ve ever seen or used, and you will love them too!
If you’re tired of spending the summer trying to control your tomatoes, then you definitely need to make a few of these for your garden.
This tomato cages DIY project is perfect for anyone. You don’t need to be a skilled carpenter, or even be great with power tools.
Heck, I didn’t even need to cut the wood myself, the store did that for me. Trust me, if I can build these, you can too!
All you’ll need is the wood, some screws, a drill or screwdriver, and a few other tools you have around the house.
Staining Your Homemade Wooden Tomato Cages
After using these wood tomato cages in my garden for a couple of years, I decided I wanted to paint them to make them more decorative (and add some wonderful pops of color!).
If you want to do the same, it’s best use a wood stain rather than paint. You certainly could use an outdoor paint if you want. But stain allows the wood to breath, which helps it last longer.
Of course, this step is totally optional. If you like the look of the raw wood, there’s certainly no need to stain them.
Once you have them installed in the garden, you should grow one tomato plant per cage. Then simply care for the plants as you normally would.
When you prune tomatoes regularly, they will fill the cages, and look fantastic. More importantly, the plants will stay off the ground. No more staking and tying!
I haven’t had a plant yet that’s been too large for these super strong tomato cages to support. Come wind, come rain, come hail (well, no hail please!), my tomato plants aren’t going anywhere.
Want learn how to build your own DIY Tomato Cages? Click the “Buy Now” button to purchase the design plans with full step-by-step instructions.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Building Sturdy DIY Tomato Cages
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of my DIY tomato cages.
About Amy Andrychowicz
I live and garden in Minneapolis, MN (zone 4b). My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening most of my life. I’m a passionate gardener who loves growing everything from vegetables, herbs, and flowers to succulents, tropicals, and houseplants - you name, I've grown it! Read More...
Comments
Mannie Peterssays
I made these over 10 yrs ago. I used just plain old 2X2’s without stain repaint. Now my 11th year I am making again. Retired now so plenty of time for a project like this.
Best tomato cages I have ever used .
Those homemade wooden cages look great. I gave up after years of failure staking my tomatoes, and started pinning them up to cattle panel. Next best thing. They grow up like trees
I’ve just built 3 of these tomato cages using pressure-treated wood, thanks for the idea! To make mine more sturdy, I glued them together using waterproof glue in addition to using screws. We’ll see how they perform once the tomato & tomatillo plants which are going to go inside them are big enough to plant outside…
Awesome, you are welcome! And thanks for adding your tip about using the wood glue in addition to screwing the tomato cage frames together. That should definitely make them even sturdier, and help them last longer too.
I’ve got some new Fir Green wood preserver on the way- I wonder how they would look with a green tint?
Amy Andrychowiczsays
I’m not sure how long your DIY tomato cages will stay green when you use your own wood preserver. But it takes about a year for the color to start to fade on the treated wood from the store.
Jamessays
I use plenty of wood preserver too, applied by brush to the cut ends of wood. I dip the feet and soak them for a while to get good absorption.
Kara Heiser Hiblesays
I am going to make an attempt to build some of these wooden tomato cages this week! Wish me luck!
These sturdy tomato cages are definitely useable for multiple seasons, and many years. We built them about 8 years ago, and they are still going strong. The screws have loosened up a bit, but they are totally sturdy once they are in the ground (we move them around for crop rotation every year). The wood on the legs are starting to wear down a bit (in the area that’s underground), but it will take several more years for them to rot through. We pull them out in the fall, so they don’t spend the whole winter in the ground. They will definitely last several more years.
Yep, we have so many cages and long stakes and tree limbs recycled and have tried so many thing sover the years to stake ours but always end up with a tangled mess of tomato plants in our raised beds. I am so making these using leftover wood and fallen limbs. I use pantyhose rings (learned from Martha eons ago!) as ties. My 7 yr old gets a kick that her (shredded!) red plaid tights are now plant ties.
Yes, I too have tried many ways to stake tomatoes, and these cages are by far the best. Hope they work out well for you too! That’s a great tip to use old pantyhose as plant ties! Repurposing is awesome!
Mannie Peters says
I made these over 10 yrs ago. I used just plain old 2X2’s without stain repaint. Now my 11th year I am making again. Retired now so plenty of time for a project like this.
Best tomato cages I have ever used .
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! Have fun building your new tomato cages.
M. Ross says
Those homemade wooden cages look great. I gave up after years of failure staking my tomatoes, and started pinning them up to cattle panel. Next best thing. They grow up like trees
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks, I’m so glad you like them! Your tomato trellises sound very sturdy too.
Crystal says
What a great idea, I love how you painted your wooden tomato cages! I am growing cherry tomatoes and only have one plant more next year!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome! Glad to hear you like the tomato cages!
James says
I’ve just built 3 of these tomato cages using pressure-treated wood, thanks for the idea! To make mine more sturdy, I glued them together using waterproof glue in addition to using screws. We’ll see how they perform once the tomato & tomatillo plants which are going to go inside them are big enough to plant outside…
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome, you are welcome! And thanks for adding your tip about using the wood glue in addition to screwing the tomato cage frames together. That should definitely make them even sturdier, and help them last longer too.
James says
I’ve got some new Fir Green wood preserver on the way- I wonder how they would look with a green tint?
Amy Andrychowicz says
I’m not sure how long your DIY tomato cages will stay green when you use your own wood preserver. But it takes about a year for the color to start to fade on the treated wood from the store.
James says
I use plenty of wood preserver too, applied by brush to the cut ends of wood. I dip the feet and soak them for a while to get good absorption.
Kara Heiser Hible says
I am going to make an attempt to build some of these wooden tomato cages this week! Wish me luck!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Awesome Kara! Good luck!
Anna says
How have these tomato supports held up season to season? Is this a once a season build or usable for multiple seasons?
Amy Andrychowicz says
These sturdy tomato cages are definitely useable for multiple seasons, and many years. We built them about 8 years ago, and they are still going strong. The screws have loosened up a bit, but they are totally sturdy once they are in the ground (we move them around for crop rotation every year). The wood on the legs are starting to wear down a bit (in the area that’s underground), but it will take several more years for them to rot through. We pull them out in the fall, so they don’t spend the whole winter in the ground. They will definitely last several more years.
Deanna says
Yep, we have so many cages and long stakes and tree limbs recycled and have tried so many thing sover the years to stake ours but always end up with a tangled mess of tomato plants in our raised beds. I am so making these using leftover wood and fallen limbs. I use pantyhose rings (learned from Martha eons ago!) as ties. My 7 yr old gets a kick that her (shredded!) red plaid tights are now plant ties.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, I too have tried many ways to stake tomatoes, and these cages are by far the best. Hope they work out well for you too! That’s a great tip to use old pantyhose as plant ties! Repurposing is awesome!
Tarah DiGiovanni says
Did you use pressure-treated wood to build your tomato frames?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes we did. But you could use any type of rot-resistant wood.