Author Topic: Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking  (Read 19560 times)

EarthBoxAdmin

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Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking
« on: July 05, 2017, 12:11:23 pm »
Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Full Member, TexasRobin. This user is located in Cypress, TX, Zone 9. This was originally posted on March 19, 2013.

Last fall was my first time using EB's and I was in a quandry as to what to use to stake my tomatoes (we planted indeterminates which ended up being huge).  I didn't have time to order the pea fences so I ended up going to a local tractor supply store and bought 2 cattle fences (I had 3 earthboxes with tomatoes and 1 with cucumbers).  The panels were 16' long and about 5' high.  My DH basically folded them in half length-wise and we jabbed them in the ground in front and in back of the EB's.  They covered 4 EB's perfectly and were pretty cheap.  This time, he's going to actually cut them at the top and tie-wrap them together so that they don't bow.  I'll post a picture later on if I can find one.

EarthBoxAdmin

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Re: Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2017, 12:13:02 pm »
Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Full Member, LaurainFL. This user is located in Zone 8b/9a, NW Florida. This was originally posted on March 19, 2013.

I kind of like the arch at the top (I saw the picture you posted). Did the arches bow out too much along the sides?

Rather than cut and tie them, you could also sort of bend them at the top and top of the sides and make a pointed arch:

      /\  bent at top
     /  \
    /    \
   /      \
  l         l bent at top of side wall
  l         l
  l         l
  l         l
  l         l
  l         l

Just a thought. That way you won't have sharp wire ends at the top, but you should still have vertical sides.

EarthBoxAdmin

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Re: Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2017, 12:14:33 pm »
Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Full Member, TexasRobin. This user is located in Cypress, TX, Zone 9. This was originally posted on March 19, 2013.

Hi Laura.  The arches caused the sides to bow out too much - because we placed the boxes too close to the house, I couldn't get behind them once they got some size on them.  I like your design, however, the cattle panels are way too stout to bend like that.  We are redoing our layout and will move them farther away from the house so I may just leave the panels in one piece.  I'll post more photos after we get done setting up and planting this week.

LoneStarKayaker

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Re: Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2017, 12:17:14 pm »
If cattle panels are the same thing as livestock panels, they are what I use to grow tomatoes and any climbing crop on. I grow mini Jack Be Little pumpkins for a local kindergarten class and they do great on the panels. I have both the cut in half ones and whole ones tied to t-posts.

gardendoc

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Re: Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2017, 04:34:54 pm »
Cattle panels are fantastic for supporting tomatoes and other crops.  We have used for several years in our research plots. This fall I'm installing at the Urban Nano Farm.
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lindaray

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Re: Cattle Panels for Tomato Staking
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2020, 04:44:55 pm »
My husband made cages out of cattle panels for my tomatoes.    Worked so well he made them for all of my EB’s.