A 20 in round, 50 in tall tomato cage made from a 63 in length of cattle panel and a T-post.
Draft plan, generated from the model. Not yet build-tested.
20 inDiameter
50 inHeight
3Cages per panel
20 min eachBuild time
$69.11Materials
Drawings All dimensions in inches
3D viewfinishedFront elevationRight elevationPlan viewfrom above
Shopping list $69.11 checked / $0.00 estimated
Item
Store
Qty
Each
Line
Note
Cattle panel, 16 ft x 50 in, 4-gauge
Tractor Supply
1
$37.99
$37.99
makes three cages
6 ft studded T-post (1.25 lb/ft)
Tractor Supply
3
$4.49
$13.47
UV zip ties 11 in, 100 ct (also used for tie wire)
Home Depot
1
$17.65
$17.65
Total before tax
$69.11
Filled dot: price read from a store listing on Oct 20, 2026. Hollow dot: estimate. Prices come from the master price list, so they change when it changes.
Build steps
Cut a 16 ft cattle panel into three 63 in lengths with bolt cutters, cutting through the middle of the squares.
Bend each length into a ring 20 in across with the cut ends overlapping 2 in, and wire the seam shut in three places.
Set the ring over a young tomato plant. Drive a T-post beside it, 12 in into the ground, and wire the ring to the post at the top and the middle.
Before you start
One panel makes three cages that last for 20 years, against 3 to 5 for the thin store cages. The 6 in squares let you reach in to pick fruit.
The cut ends are sharp. File them or bend the last wire over.
For a 30 in cage, cut the panel in lengths of 94 in.
Draft drawings generated from the model. Build one before selling this plan.