There are many ways to support the sprawling branches and heavy fruit of tomato plants but few are more elegant than this wood-and-wire tomato cage, which we spotted in the garden of Brock and Bonnie Young in Aurora, Ontario.
Corner posts and crosspieces
Start the project by cutting the corner posts and crosspieces to length with a handsaw. Arrange one side of the cage flat on your work surface using two corner posts and two crosspieces to form a rectangular frame.
Drill a 1/8”-diameter hole to prevent the wood from splitting before attaching these pieces together with one #8 2 1/2”-long coated deck screw at each corner. Offset the screws slightly so they don't collide as the sides are assembled. Apply a dab of weatherproof carpenter's glue to each joint before joining two frame members together. (See detailed plan on last page)
Once you've completed two frames, join them together with the remaining crosspieces. Attach the crosspieces to the finished sides with screws and glue. Now you'll see why offset screws are so important.
Top frame and cove moulding
The top frame does more than just look good: it helps protect the vulnerable end grain of the corner posts from water. Start with a length of 3 1/2”-wide lumber (this is the actual width of so-called 1” x 4” wood). Measure and mark the 45° angles for the corners, then cut them to length using a handsaw and small mitre box. If you don't have a mitre box, clamp a short length of wood at a 45° angle to the lumber to act as a guide for your saw blade. Test-fit the frame pieces together on top of the tomato cage before joining them with weatherproof glue and some galvanized finishing nails. Once the glue has dried, attach the assembled top frame to the cage with more glue and screws.
The cove moulding comes next. It's easiest to cut one 45° end first, then hold the part in position on the cage to mark the next cut. Install the first piece of moulding on the cage with glue and a few finishing nails, then repeat the process for the other three lengths of moulding.
0 Comments