right size tomato cage?

I am growing my grandmother's heirloom roma tomatoes that she brought from italy. They are a determinate tomato. I have never used cages before but I am going to try it this year. I have 5' tall cages made from concrete reinforcment cage that is bent into a circle of 18" diameter. Will this be wide enough for a roma?

Adam, I usually make mine about 12 to 18 inches across. For me it is usually the height that is a bigger concern. The plants usually grow out the top and cascade down to the ground.
As long as you can get your hands in through the wire to harvest the fruit that grows inside the cage you should be OK.
I also support them by driving 4-6 ft , old tree branch poles into the ground. Just to keep them from falling over.

Miles Flansburg wrote:Adam, I usually make mine about 12 to 18 inches across. For me it is usually the height that is a bigger concern. The plants usually grow out the top and cascade down to the ground.
As long as you can get your hands in through the wire to harvest the fruit that grows inside the cage you should be OK.
I also support them by driving 4-6 ft , old tree branch poles into the ground. Just to keep them from falling over.

Ok, what tomatoes are you growing and now? I need this information!

Adam Buchler wrote:I am growing my grandmother's heirloom roma tomatoes that she brought from italy. They are a determinate tomato. I have never used cages before but I am going to try it this year. I have 5' tall cages made from concrete reinforcment cage that is bent into a circle of 18" diameter. Will this be wide enough for a roma?

Since they are 'determinate' they shouldn't keep vining after they reach a certain height like an 'indeterminate' tomato would.... I think a determinate roma usually won't get more than three or four feet tall..so a five foot tall ring *should* be tall enough and I'd think 18" plenty wide. You've reminded me I need to scare up some rings for mine....

Seems like, as Mile's says the width isn't so important as the height. Too wide and they'll flop over to one side or the other.
I've had several feet of vine on other tomatoes coming out over a four foot cage (indeterminate varieties) sometimes I've tied them to a horizontal wire stretched between some posts.....they keep growing for a long time if the weather is right and the season is long enough.

I am growing my grandmother's heirloom roma tomatoes that she brought from italy.

...and this is exciting to actually have a family heirloom tomato... lucky you