How to Hang Tomato Cages
Using hanging tomato cages, or inverted tomato planters, is a simple way to allow tomato vines to grown downward, preventing heavy vines from breaking and ripened tomatoes from rotting on the ground. While there are several inverted tomato planters available on the market, you can make a hanging tomato cage from your home with a tomato plant, a hanging rod and a modified standard planter. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 12-16 inch hanging plastic planter
- Hole saw
- Landscape cloth
- Garden shears
- Tomato plant
- Plant hanging pole
- Planting soil
Instructions
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1
Turn the plastic planter over onto a flat surface so that the bottom is facing up. If you want to hang a tomato plant that produces large tomatoes, you should use a larger plastic planter (16 inches). If you will hang a small variety of tomatoes, a smaller planter will suffice (12 inches).
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2
Drill a 2-inch hole in the center of the plastic planter using a hole saw. The hole needs to be just big enough to push the tomato bulb through, so if you are using a larger tomato bulb, you may need to use a 2 1/2 inch hole saw.
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3
Cut a piece of landscaping cloth in a circle so that it will cover the inside of the planter's bottom. In the center of the circle, cut a slit approximately 2 inches long, or big enough to fit the tomato bulb through. Make sure that you don't cut the landscaping cloth hole too big because its purpose is to prevent soil from the planter from falling through the planter hole once the planter is hanging.
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Hang the modified planter on your outdoor plant-hanging pole. While you don't need to specifically use a hanging pole, keep in mind that the tomato plant will get very heavy as it grows, so the sturdier the hanging area or pole, the more likely it is the tomato plant will thrive.
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5
Push the tomato bulb through the outside bottom of the planter into the inside of the planter through the hole that you cut. The bulb should completely pass through the planter hole and the landscaping fabric hole. Do not push the vines through the hole, because they should now be hanging down from the planter bottom. Only the tomato bulb or root should be in the planter.
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6
Fill the pot with planting soil. Depending on the type of tomato plant you are growing, you may want to purchase a tomato-specific planting soil, though most general planting soils will work.
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Tips & Warnings
During the first few days, the tomato vines may try to climb up the side of the planter. But as the vines get longer, and heavier, they should hang downward.
