How to Build a PVC Garden Cage

Build garden cages out of PVC to support your tomato plants.

Garden cages are used for vegetables that require support as they grow vertically, such as tomatoes. In addition to providing support, they also allow you to cover your plants with netting or plastic to protect them from pests or cold nights. You can make your own out of PVC pipe. PVC pipe is durable and comes in a wide variety of sizes. The design for this cage measures 24 by 24 inches and is 48 inches tall. The legs can be pushed into the ground to create a stable cage. You can modify the cage to suit your needs.

Things You'll Need

• 32 PVC pipes, 24 inches long, 1-inch diameter
• 4 connectors, 3-way, 1-inch diameter
• 12 connectors, 4-way, 1-inch diameter

Instructions

1. Separate the pipes into groups of 4. Half of the groups are for the legs, and half are for the supports.

2. Place one 3-way connector on one end of 4 of the pipes using the bottom hole in the connector.

3. Connect a 4-way connector onto the bottom end of each of the 4 pipes using the top hole in the connector. Insert one pipe into the bottom hole of each 4-way connector. Connect a 4-way connector to the bottom of each pipe. Add another pipe. Continue with this process until you have 4 sets of 4 pipes that are connected together. These are the legs of the cage.

4. Place the four legs upright, 24 inches apart from each other, so that they form the four corners of a square. Orient the horizontal holes in the connectors on the legs towards each other, from corner to corner, so that the horizontal supports will be able to slide into them. Connect all of the horizontal holes with pipes in the 3-way connectors at the top and 4-way connectors along the length of the legs. This will create a 24- by 24-inch rectangular cage that measures 48 inches tall. There is no need to glue the pipes into the connectors; they will hold by friction, and you will be able to take them apart for storage at the end of the season.

Tips & Warnings

• Tie the plant vines loosely to the cage with garden twine as they grow to train them along the cage.

References

• Mother Earth News; Build Homemade Tomato Cages; Jennifer Kongs; November 30, 2010
• Tomato Casual; The Store Away Tomato Cage; Mindy McIntosh-Shetter; January 4, 2011
• ACF Greenhouses: PVC Project Plans - PVC Tomato Cages