DIY Flower Supports From a Tomato Cage

Necessity is the mother of invention! By the beginning of August, flowers in the garden have gotten a leggy and a little droopy.

The inspiration for this DIY came from Jardin Half-Round Plant Supports I spied in Gardener’s Supply Company's catalog, to prop up flowers and to keep your flower beds and borders tidy. I loved the look as well as the functionality, but not the price tag --> $20+ for a set of two.

I started with a 54-inch galvanized steel tomato cage. All tomato cages are not created equally, they come different heights and weights. You’ll want a heavy duty one for these supports.

My heavy duty cage was $4 instead of the more flimsy $2 version. Tomato cages also come powdered coated in colors which you could use as a bright accent and colorful plant support if you prefer.

I purchased a 14-inch bolt cutter for $17 at Lowe’s. No hand strength required, with the bolt cutters, which made cutting through the steel rings super easy!

Start by cutting your tomato cage in half lengthwise with your bolt cutters. Then cut where the rings are joined to the vertical supports on the tomato cage (refer to the first photo, where the arrows are).

I ended up with 3 sizes and 6 supports in total from 1 tomato cage. Not exactly like the Jardin half-round supports, but easier on the wallet, even after purchasing the bolt cutters. (6 supports from Gardener’s Supply Company would have been around $65)

I cut the middle pieces off the tallest supports (refer to the ‘x’ on the first photo) but you could leave them if you prefer.

They’re handy for supporting leaning zinnias. . .

And the cleome that has gotten a leggy by late summer.

More photos at the blog link below. Happy Gardening!