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Potato & Tomato Cages


CHILLIN

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For various reasons we find ourselves deluged with many exotic seeds. Had a home grown, ripe, tomato with lunch today. Grown outdoors - delish. My friend has tried to sell seedlings at Tuesday market - she says people only want product, not the plant, I say people have no imagination, they have no idea how delicious and healthy many of the tomatoes and potatoes are off the commercial charts, let alone the wonderful exotic fruits and berries out there. (one of the big surprises for me was Philadendron fruit. I knew it as a houseplant, but we have a 12 foot high giant when we moved here. The fruit is sweet, and juicy, as is like a giant pinecone with fruit coated seeds). I was wondering if preplanted potato and tomato cages would sell? I could make the wire somewhat artsy and colorful, with my experience with topiary and welding armatures. I could use fancy words like determinate and indeterminate strains - or just say do you want a bush which will produce tomatoes or potatoes all year, or do you want one big harvest.

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" I say people have no imagination "

Because they don't want to grow their own veg? One of my jobs is book design. It's been a hobby since DeskTop Publishing took off. Am I to announce that the authors I've helped "have no imagination" because they didn't want to design their own books? (Ignoring the obvious irony here...)

'Scuse me... heading out to buy a herd of cows so I can make my own meat...

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This reminds me of when people ask where they can get a particular dish at a restaurant and before you know it, someone is giving them directions on how to make it at home.  "A problem of communication", indeed.  It would do me, for one, no good to learn about getting seeds since my "yard" is a cement slab between my terrazza and the garage.  Just tell me who has the best veggies for sale.😉

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Don't know about spuds but tomatoes are very difficult to grow in this area.  I've grown spuds and tomatoes in the US but no success with tomatoes here.  The seedlings must be fusarium and verticillium resistant as these fungi are rampant here.

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Chillin, to answer your direct question with my opinion.  I think you might be on to something.  I will not purchase the seeds and find the pots, soil, then water etc. etc.  BUT, if you fixed them all up already in an attractive wire cage and gave me directions on their care and told me in a while I could have home grown tomatoes all through the year I would definitely purchase a couple!!  I applaud you for thinking outside the box on this one and if you decide to do this please post it because I don't always get to the Tuesday or Monday or Wednesday or Thursday or Friday market!!!

I do know that we, our housekeeper's family and our neighbors are enjoying the heck out of our Hass avocados that come right off the tree in our garden .... plus, the fat, juicy limes that our beautiful little tree produces.  We are having fun watching our other fruit trees blossom and grow .... so, yes, tomatoes growing in a cage would be great!  

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19 hours ago, More Liana said:

Chillin, you answered your own question:  "My friend has tried to sell seedlings at Tuesday market - she says people only want product, not the plant."

You may well be right. I would enjoy more giving away delicious varieties of produce to be people like yourself, and your friends, who would appreciate the difference the flavor of home grown, versus commercial production. Also, I live in a condo of 15 large houses, all are retired or beyond, some with mobility problems. I would enjoy giving them healthy, garden fresh produce. Its not just saving money for them, it is tasting fruit and produce they remember in their youth, which has largely disappeared from grocery shelves.

4 hours ago, gringal said:

Let's see a photo of " an attractive wire cage".  Can't picture one, but I'll keep an open mind.🙃

I was thinking like a nesting chicken for the potatoes, with hinged rear compartment to reach in for spuds. I was thinking like a xmas tree for cherry tomatoes, cone shaped, with a wire star on top. Project number 237.

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