Tomato plants outgrown their cages- what to do?

[hornian]

I think I have radio active soil or something. All my plants in my garden are growing like nuts. I've been eating fresh homegrown jalepeño hybrids for the past 2 weeks, my cilantro is gigantic and growing like its possesed, and my tomatoes should start being ripe in a few weeks.

But right now, the tomatoes have overgrown their 4 ft. cages and I need to do something. They would be about 6 ft tall right now, but they are mostly hanging over the tops of the cages.

Anyone ever had this problem before? Can I jerry-rig something with some sort of wire? Maybe buy more cages and tie the to the tops of the old ones? I don't know what my best option is.

 

[jmatt]

Get some plant stakes - (they're actually long, thin 4' - 6' poles, maybe they're just bamboo?) and some ties or sting and stake the plants up or put 3 or 4 stakes around the perimeter of the cage and tie some string or something between the stakes to make a larger cage outside the wire one.

 

[Brak]

The reason the plants are growing so well is that we have had a wet, cool spring.

 

[horn4life]

I would probably drive some PVC pipe into the ground and do what was mentioned above with some heavy twine.

I guess I planted my tomatoe plants a little late....

 

[MirrOlure]

This may be overkill, but I use concrete rebar --- the kind that comes in rolls.

Roll out about 12-13 squares, cut it so that you leave "legs", and make a cylinder out of it, and the "legs" can be bent over to hold it in place. Then cut off the bottom stringer to give it "feet", and voila, tomato cages.

I also secure them to metal tree stakes so that they don't get blown over in a storm.

They are a pain in the *** to store from year to year, but they work damn fine.

PS --- have someone help you with this, because if it slips while you are unrolling it, you're likely to become a rebar-k-bob.

 

[7Titles]

Look at your Zuchinni ans squash to see if there is a sawdust type crap around the base of the plants. If there is you have squash vine borers, which will attack all of the plants you described.

 

[TXHookem]

My tomato bush is out of control, too but my cherry tomatos are a bit smallish.

 

[MirrOlure]

Picked my first tomato today!

God bless the "celebrity" variety in Texas ---- though the fruit is a bit smallish, they are kicking the **** out of the beefsteaks that for some unknown reason I felt compelled to plant.

 

[7Titles]

I stopped planting cherry tomatoes this year, too much work. So much **** to pick and try and give away that I got sick of my garden last year.

 

[HtownAg92]

This year is my first attempt at a garden and I would say that it has been a success. I've already harvested two huge squash, about a half-dozen jalepenos, and 4 banana peppers. My tomatoes are growing like crazy, as well as the other peppers and okra. Just a few questions for you experts:

1. My chile peppers are huge (over 6" long), but still green. If I pick them will they turn red off the vine? Same for cherry peppers.

2. When picking peppers, should you pull them off the base, or cut the stem and leave part of it?

3. If I already blew it by not building cages for the tomatoes, and have controlled them somewhat with stakes, will they be alright if they are growing wide?

4. For those who have pickled jalepenos before, do I need anything other than vinegar in the jar (I threw in some carrots, onions and garlic to pickle with them)?