My tomato dome collapsed at 6am and I saved it with a coat hanger

Woke up to my DIY PVC and netting cage flat on the balcony in Portland after a windy night, bent the hanger into a hook to pull the main stem upright and tied it with old shoelaces, now the cherry tomatoes are back to leaning toward the sun but I'm wondering if anyone else has a sturdier cheap fix for these gusty apartments?

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rileynguyen20d ago

Saw a thread last week where someone in Chicago used those zip tie plant rings and screwed eye hooks into the wall, then ran paracord through them as a trellis. Way sturdier than a standalone cage, and it takes like 20 minutes to set up. Also heard that weighing down the base with sandbags or heavy bricks helps a ton when the wind hits, especially on a balcony where gusts get funneled weird. The coat hanger trick is honestly pretty genius though, props for that. If you wanna keep the cage but make it tougher, wrapping the PVC joints with duct tape or using hose clamps instead of the snap fittings can keep it from folding like a cheap tent. Portland wind is no joke, so maybe also try angling the whole setup against a wall corner for extra support.