Grown By You, Built By You: DIY Tomato Cages, Garden Tools, and More!
By now, you’re most likely almost done putting out seed starts. Everything looks luscious, green and healthy, so good job! Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably running low on a few items, such as tomato cages and plant pots. Before you head out to that big box garden store, take a gander at a few of the suggestions we’ve listed below. You may already have all you need to construct garden staples.
DIY Tomato Cages
While tomatoes don’t need cages to thrive, growing tomatoes and tomato plants can get a little, well, sprawl-y. These guys go everywhere when they succeed!
The easiest (and cheapest) cage to construct is Mother Earth News’ wire mesh tomato cage. All you need to construct the cages are rolls of 6-by-6-inch concrete reinforcing wire mesh (this is the cage; you’ll cut and roll the mesh) and steel T-posts (to anchor the cages). The amount per cage? $8! Totally doable. For detailed instructions on how to construct this cage (and others, such as folding wooden tomato cages and the indestructible tomato cage), check “The Best Homemade Tomato Cages.”
Other sites with DIY tomato cage advice:
How to Make a Wire Tomato Cage
DIY, Re-purposed Plant Pots
In all honesty, anything — and we mean anything — can become a plant pot. Fill old furniture drawers with soil, add seeds, drill holes in the bottom, water, and voila! Other spectacular plant container ideas? Use old shoes, rusty buckets, unique pans and kitsch-y coffee mugs, and you’re set!
Other DIY Garden Tools and Tidbits
The following article from fellow OA writer, Elizah Leigh, has awesome ideas concerning how to make your own plant markers, plant stakes, bird feeders and watering cans.
Resources:
The Best Homemade Tomato Cages
15 Repurposed Planters: Just Add Dirt
Images: Waponi
