How To Make Tomato Cages From Coat Hangers

Supporting tomatoes in a garden becomes a necessity as they grow large throughout the summer. The standard caging process involves planting the small tomato seedlings and immediately placing a wire tomato cage around the small plant so the plant will grow large within the confines of the cage. Instead of purchasing tomato cages at a garden center, get those extra wire coat hangers out of your closet and use them to make tomato cages.

Step 1

Untwist the coat hangers with the pliers and straighten the wires so each one is a straight length of wire.

Step 2

Insert three of the coat hangers into the soil around a tomato plant approximately 8 inches away from the center stem of the plant. Make the depth even, inserting each wire 6 inches into the soil, spacing the wires evenly around the tomato plant.

Step 3

Make a loop in the end of one of the remaining hangers with the pliers. Insert a cable tie into this loop and attach the loop to one vertical hanger approximately 4 inches above the soil level. Tighten the cable tie securely to attach the two hangers together.

Step 4

Pull the attached hanger horizontally around the three vertical coat hangers, stretching it around each hanger back to the starting point.

Step 5

Allow approximately 2 inches of extra hanger wire, then cut off any excess wire with the wire cutters.

Step 6

Make another loop in this end of the hanger with the pliers and attach this loop to the same vertical hanger with another cable tie.

Step 7

Attach the horizontal hanger to the other two vertical hangers with cable ties. This completes the first support tier of the tomato cage.

Step 8

Repeat to add two more horizontal hangers to the tomato cage. Space each horizontal hanger approximately 8 inches apart along the vertical hangers.

Step 9

Clip off any excess vertical hanger wire above the top horizontal hanger with the wire cutters to finish the tomato cage.