Cutting Concrete Reinforcing Mesh into Tomato Cages with 24-Inch Bolt Cutters: 6-Foot Panels for 23-Inch Cages, Hook Ends, and 6-Inch Legs

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Cut the 5-foot-tall mesh just beside a vertical wire so one end keeps a straight wire and the other end keeps bare prongs. A 6-foot panel rolls into a cage about 23 inches across; bend the prongs into hooks, then cut out the bottom ring to leave 6-inch legs.

How long a piece of reinforcing wire makes a tomato cage?

A 5-foot length makes a cage about 18 inches across and a 6-foot length makes one about 23 inches across. Cut beside a vertical wire with bolt cutters so one end has prongs to hook over the straight end, then snip off the bottom horizontal wire to leave spikes that push into the soil.

Oregon State University Extension's tomato support article suggests a roll of stiff 9- or 10-gauge concrete reinforcing mesh about 150 feet long and 5 feet tall. It uses a bolt cutter, notes a 5-foot panel forms a cage about 18 inches across and a 6-foot panel about 23 inches, and leaves 6-inch spikes for legs.

NDSU Extension's tomato support options uses 6-inch mesh cut at 6.5 feet for a cage 2 feet across and 5 feet high. It removes the bottom horizontal ring and pokes the loose wires into the soil.

Panel Length to Cage Size

Panel length 6-in. squares Diameter (length / 3.14) Cages per 150-ft. roll
5 ft. (60 in.) 10 19.1 in. (about 18 in. after hooks) 30
6 ft. (72 in.) 12 22.9 in. 25
6.5 ft. (78 in.) 13 24.8 in. 23

Hooking the prongs over the straight wire eats an inch or two, which is why the finished cages run a little under the raw math.

Materials and Tools

  • 24-inch bolt cutters for the 9- or 10-gauge wire
  • One roll of 5-foot concrete reinforcing mesh with 6-inch squares
  • Lineman's or fencing pliers for bending hooks
  • Two cinder blocks or a helper to hold the roll flat
  • Heavy leather gloves and safety glasses

Cutting Steps

  1. Pin the roll. Unroll about 8 feet and weight the loose end, since the mesh springs back hard.
  2. Measure 12 squares. For a 23-inch cage, count 12 squares from the prong end of the roll.
  3. Cut beside the wire. Close the bolt cutters on each horizontal wire right beside the 12th vertical, so this panel ends in a straight wire and the next one starts with 6-inch prongs.
  4. Make all 11 cuts. A 5-foot height with 6-inch spacing has 11 horizontal wires to cut.
  5. Bend the hooks. Grip each prong with pliers and bend it 90 degrees, then curl it into a hook.
  6. Roll the cylinder. Stand the panel up and curve it until the hooks reach the straight vertical wire.
  7. Close the seam. Hook every prong over the straight wire and squeeze it shut.
  8. Cut the legs. Snip the bottom horizontal wire beside each vertical to free 6-inch spikes.
  9. Set the cage. Push the spikes into the soil around the transplant.

The bolt cutters' long handles let you make each cut with one squeeze instead of fighting the wire with pliers.

Cutting Hazards

  • Mesh released from the roll whips back toward your face
  • Fresh cut ends are sharp enough to cut through thin gloves
  • Cutting the wrong side of a vertical leaves no prongs to hook
  • A cage under 18 inches across makes it hard to reach in and pick

Heavier panels bent into an arch are covered in building a T-post and cattle-panel arch trellis over a raised-bed path. Smaller cones for seedlings come from cutting 1/4-inch hardware cloth into 10-inch cone cloches.

The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide explains how wire gauge numbers run from thick to thin.

Filing and folding raw wire ends follows cutting hardware cloth without sharp edges.

FAQ

Will the cages rust?

Yes. Plain reinforcing mesh rusts but OSU says it should last for years.

Do bolt cutters dull on this wire?

Not on 9- or 10-gauge mild steel when you cut square and do not twist the jaws.

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