Turn A Tomato Cage Into A Mini Greenhouse To Protect Spring Plants

Tomato cages, a "love them or hate them" gardening item, can easily add to clutter in a shed or basement. The cylindrical structures are designed to fit around growing tomatoes, keeping them upright in small spaces. But they're not as effective with indeterminate tomatoes, which are different because they keep growing during the whole season and can eventually tip the cages over. Some people simply prefer using stakes to support their tomatoes and have extra cages on hand. Whether you regularly use tomato cages or they don't suit your preferences, they can have a use beyond just supporting the plants: turn them into mini greenhouses to protect plants in the spring. One of the best ways to repurpose tomato cages this way is to cover them with a clear plastic covering or other insulating material.

Wrapping a clear plastic covering around tomato cages works as a little greenhouse by creating a warm microclimate which will give the plants an easier start. It also offers some protection against the harsh spring winds. This DIY protects heat-loving plants from unexpected temperature drops that can damage them in the spring. Naturally, it works for tomatoes, but also for other crops that grow in warm weather, including peppers, summer squash, cucumbers, and eggplants. All you need for a basic, affordable mini greenhouse is a tomato cage and some form of plastic, such as shrink wrap or a clear trash bag, but you can also cut some of a fabric row cover made from polypropylene and wrap it around the cage. This material is also known to help keep pesky insects away.

Before you get started, give the tomato cage a good cleaning to get rid of any pathogens that may have settled onto it, and make sure it will fit around the plant you're trying to keep warm. For tomatoes, the recommendation is 18 inches in diameter, a size that makes it easy to access the plant and its fruits. The size you need may vary by the growth habits of the crop you're trying to protect.

There are a few ways you can set a mini greenhouse that can protect plants from a late spring frost. With shrink wrap or another material that comes in sheets, stake the cage around the plant, then wrap or drape the cover over the whole cage, including the top, using clothespins to keep it tightly stretched onto the wire. If you're repurposing a plastic trash bag for this DIY, one method is to place the bag under your potted plant first, then press the cage into the soil in the container, pull up the trash bag, and fasten it with a clip or rubber band. The most important thing is fully covering your plants with the bag wrapped closely around the cage, but there's flexibility in how to maneuver it. Since the bag surrounds the entire cage, it's a good idea to poke holes on top of the cover so water doesn't accumulate there from springtime rain showers. Those holes may let some water in and you'll have to occasionally shift the cover to keep your growing plants well-watered, but gardeners have found this short-lived inconvenience worth it.