Disclaimer: This post was originally posted by Full Member, johnthomasc3. This user is located in Chapin, SC - Zone 7. This was originally posted on May 25, 2007.
I have six Earthboxes. Last year I had three with tomatoes, and I bought the EB staking system for each of those three. All three broke with the weight of the plants. The connectors actually snapped off on two of them, and the third was bent badly. I am sure that they will be redesigned as I have already read. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, and want to build an indestructible cage for either the old style Earthbox, or the newer version with casters, here are the directions:
I have made the best cage for tomatoes in Earthboxes that I have seen so far. As far as asthetics, well no good cage will be overly attractive. Take fence wire that is about 4 feet tall. My Earthboxes measure 32 inches long and 14 inches wide. The cage will fit the older boxes as well as the newer boxes with casters. The only difference is you will need to cut some of the wire and slip the finished cage over the wheels. First, make a base out of the wire that is two inches on each side longer than the Earthbox. Cut your fence wire to about 36inches by 14 inches. This will go under the Earthbox. Then take a section of fence wire that is 92 inches wide by the 48 inches high (this is the height of the fencing material, if you buy it at a store such as Lowe's). You will fold the fencing so that the first section is 32 inches, then the second fold will be 14 inches, the 3rd will be 32 inches and the fourth side is again 14 inches. It will take some folding and bending, but you will have a rectangular cage that you either get some low gauge wire to attach the two end sides together, or if you plan it out when you cut your section, you can have long wires left on the end of each cut that can be used later for this purpose. One note of caution. The wire is very sharp, and will cut and poke your hands and anything else if you are not careful. Wear gloves and eye protection. As you work with the wire, be careful as it can spring back and hit you. Ok, take the first rectangular section and slide it over the Earthbox and attach it to the base. I have found that the tomato plants grow very high, so I have made a second section just like the first rectangular section and placed it inside on the top of the first section. I then wire the two together forming an 8 foot tall cage that will not have any problem containing two tall tomato plants. The final step is to cut the wire grids so you can get your hands inside to pick tomatoes, put a hose inside to fill the spout (I have a completely automated system using an irrigation timer box, automatic valves, with Mister Mister black hose going into each box and I set the timer for one minute for each box). I would recommend grinding and smoothing the cut ends where your hands will go thru, as the cut ends are sharp and will cut or scratch you. It will take a couple of hours to make a cage like I have described, but once made, it will last for ever. The only thing to remember, is that next year, you will have to undo the wires that connect the cage to the base, so you can remove the cage to work on your Earthbox and replant it. Tools used: Wire cutters, Dremel Moto tool, Heavy duty pliers, aluminum wire for joining the sections, measuring tape, gloves, and eye protection.
