TIL you should never put tomato cages directly against the pot rim

I spent 3 months wondering why my cherry tomatoes were leaning like drunk people until a neighbor in my building pointed out I had the cages wedged against the edge instead of sinking them into the soil. Anyone else make this mistake and end up with crooked plants that need constant propping up?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_singh871mo ago

Actually I'm gonna push back here. I've grown tomatoes on my balcony for 5 years and I always wedge the cages right up against the pot rim on purpose. The cages give the stems something to lean on as they grow, and the roots fill out the center of the pot just fine. My plants actually stand straighter than my neighbor's who sinks his cages into the soil and ends up with stems flopping around when the soil settles. Plus when you wedge them against the rim you don't have to worry about the cage legs poking through the drainage holes and messing up your saucer setup.

faithb781mo ago

Agree with @reese_singh87, but does it really matter that much either way?