Tormato Stabilises And Feeds Your Tomato Plants
Why limit yourself to ugly and utilitarian tomato cages? The homemade Tormato is tomato cage that both looks cool and delivers the nutrients your little red globes need.
Lifehacker reader Laura was tired of flimsy tomato cages. She set out to build a sturdier tomato cage with built-in irrigation. By using a combination of rigid PVC pipe and flexible PEX water tubing she crafted spiral support cages for her tomatoes.
In addition to drilling holes for threading the PEX tubing, she drilled holes at the bottom of the PVC pipe. When the pipe is sunk into the soill, pouring water down the PVC pipe with your watering can sends it right down to the roots. For more pictures and details, check out the link below. For another tomato growing trick check out how to turn a storage container into a self-watering tomato planter.
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
I make permanent tomato cages using rebar and rebar wire. I take two thin, 10ft sections of rebar and using a fence as leverage, bend them in the center so that they each look like "U"s. Then I use the wire to wire them together (if you were to look at one from above, it would like like an "X"). I shove em into the ground, or pots, and wrap twine around them for extra tomato support. It doesn't take long for them to start to rust, at which point they look like antiques.
mfaerber
err.... i think it will fail lol
[irish-oriental.blogspot.com]
Brilliant! I'll patent it.....
squishyalt
What jake said... This is unimpressive now.
Max Finkel
Just at first glance of the title, I was expecting an album by Yes to be involved.
Jacob_Grimm
@nibarryc: Any particular reason why? I'm not necesarily disagreeing, I would just like to see what's behind your reasoning since your link points to a blank homepage.
wardawg
That's...actually pretty ingenious.
OMG! Con Seannery!
@mfaerber: ...and then the impure antiques contribute to heavy metal poisoning, but at least it looks like I have old stuff in my garden... ?
mahumphrey
Perhaps he was referring to this kind of steel poisioning ;-)
[www.urbandictionary.com]
cdoggwsu
I figured the tubing would have perforations and be connected to a hose for watering. Guess not.
EthansDad
@mahumphrey: Poisoning? It's steel, I've not heard of steel poisoning... and I haven't found anything on google about it. Can you elaborate please?
mfaerber
@mfaerber: precisely why I threw the word "impure" in there. I'd be willing to guess that you're not using food grade rebar (since, you know, its doesn't exist). I'm simply saying that for my money and my health there is no way to ensure the quality of the metal you are allowing to corrode and leech into the soil inches from your plants' roots.
mahumphrey
@EthansDad: It would be pointless to water the leaves. The water enters the plant at the roots, which is where this system directs it.
anniekate76
It is NOT critter-proof. You still need to add HD chicken wire or better. Ask Mr Groundhog (GRRRRRR...gonna get all AntiPETA on his furballass)
SigmundTheSeaMonster
@mfaerber: I think we are on the same page - we both agree that leeching will probably occur. Truth be told, I personally wouldn't be worried about anything serious. I doubt rebar ends up comprised of high levels of mercury or cadmium.
mahumphrey
@mahumphrey: Well, that certainly sounds reasonable, but I have still not been able to find any data that validates your concerns. But it's worth pursuing further, so I'm posting it as a question at forums2.gardenweb.com.
I suspect that you're correct, but I wonder if it leeches enough of anything to be of concern...
mfaerber