May 1, 2011. Mel Bartholomew on tomato cages: ". . . you should have seen the assortment of stakes and supports everyone was using. It was a comic tragedy. The comic part (the tragedy would come later) was watching the creative-minded among us propping up their tomatoes with a motley assortment of things like old fishing poles and lines, or drapery rods tied with venetian blind cords. Other people went in the opposite direction and built the most elaborate supports supports you could imagine - one was constructed of long bamboo poles lashed together in a massive and complex structure that looked formidable enough to replace the Great Wall of China. But despite all the odd, elaborate supports, the tomatoes contined to outgrow whatever people installed."
Mr. Bartholomew goes on recommend several alternatives to cages. In my defense, I intended to build his fence set up, but funds were short this season, and the bamboo is free. .
I used green bamboo. It was easy to cut, and easy to get to in the bamboo patch, as it was up front.

This would prove to be a major mistake.

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