Send two of them to Madonna for a new bra ;-)

They are also great for putting around pepper plants or any bush variety of any plant like bush cucumbers or bush beans. You can grow vine cucumbers up them if you really persuade them to climb it. Peas and pole beans would also probably climb up them pretty easily.

Put them on your peonies and let the plants grow up inside them to help support the stems when they bloom.

I found that those cone-shaped thingies they sell at the box stores aren't really sturdy enough for tomatoes so I turn them upside down over my dahlias to keep the stems straight. I wrap bird netting around them to keep my ducks from pulling off the leaves.

There is a book called "101 uses for a dead cat".
Lets see how many uses can we find for a tomato cage.

- srick it in the ground, cover it with clear plastic,
and grow your seedlings in it.

- When there is a frost warnning, stick it over you plant,
fill it with dry leaves or straw, loosly.

--stick it over any plant, wrap lower part with rabbit/deer proof row cover.

use them for pepper and eggplants that need just that little bit of help standing upright.

To shade a row of newly set out seedlings - One cage at each end, run string between [or narrow slat] and drape with old sheet or other shade fabric.

If they were concrete wire cages, you could lay them down on the ground in semi tall grass as a security system. I have walked into them, when I knew they were there and ended up on the ground. I am sure it would deter any thieves. :)

I would put one in a pot, grow a patio tomato in it, turn the other one upside down and zip tie them together. Instant cage,

Jay

I turned one upside down and used it for plant stand one year. I bent the bottom wires to hold a planter bowl.

That type of tomato cage is too lightweight for tomatoes. I bought several anyways. I use them for cucumbers, peas, and beans. I've also used them to keep deer off a plant, and to help support bird netting.

You could also use them for vining flowers, outside the vegetable garden.

If you embed the spiky points in concrete, you could throw it into a lake and make an underwater fish structure.

My aunt turned one upside down, and strung christmas lights on it. Looked like the perfect miniature tree!

I use them for flowers that need staking, and it works well. I never use "tomato" cages for tomatoes.

Raybo over at the Container Forum is the benchmark for this use, but I'm very happy with it's utility.

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Super Sugar Snap peas

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Tomato cages fastened with 1/8" wire rope clips

I used a junky 4 foot cage, opened it up and laid it flat. I then covered it with a dollar store plastic dropcloth (folded in thirds). I folded the edges over and stapled, then reinforced that with packing tape. When I was done, I walked down the middle and folded up each edge as I went along. I folded the ends in (more like smooshed it).

Voila, mini-greenhouse to cover stuff when it frosts.

To echo what's already been said, they make great trellises for peas, pole beans, and bush cukes

Once I discovered they are too flimsy for tomatoes, I started using them for bell peppers instead. I also made them into christmas trees this winter by wrapping them in garland. :-)

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I want to be the first to say the last use:

Throw thm away, for petes sake, they are ugly(lol)

Use the cages to create mini compost bins around the garden.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I just planted some Dark Seeded Early Perfection Peas. Would they work well with those?

Rofl!!! I have nothing to add, but ya'll have great imaginations!!

I cut a tomato cage just above the second circle and placed a deep plant saucer on it...It had a lip that kept it from falling through. I filled it with food for the deer and pushed it int the ground. I used the other part and bent it to fit a dishwashing pan (again from the $ store) and use it as a water dish for our dogs. This way you can put the dishes anywhere on your lawn without getting "crop circles." Just a thought...

All good uses for a seemingly useless cage, even including the one sending to Madonna in exchange for a used bra. LOL

One thing I haven't seen above -- sweet potatoes like to climb them, too, and that keeps them off the ground and saves some garden space.

tomncath, JFYI, If you have firehouse subs in your area you can buy their pickle buckets for $2 each and save a little money. My local Lowes charges $4.50 each! Plus they donate the money to charity.

elisa_Z5, You do know that sweet potatoes set roots and produce more potatoes from those roots if you let them sprawl?

drayven, Like others have said, peppers, cukes, melons, ETC. I don't have any now I disposed of them years ago after they fell apart and were unusable as cages.

The parts are still in use several places around the farm. I used them to repair fence, replace lost clips on my tractor, made hangers for storing stuff. I even used some pieces for a gas welding repair in a pinch.

I like the Christmas tree idea! I won't comment on Madonna!

I still use the heavy duty ones for the first 4-5' of growth on my maters. If I can get a pic, maybe I'll post what my caging/trellising contraption is now. All others are used up on my peppers-- great for peppers.

I even use them to cage my baby seedlings for all my brassicas et al to keep my dogs from trampling -- once they reach about a foot in height, I pull them off. I also use them to lay down over freshly sown seeds to keep the dogs from trampling there also. it's so much easier than fencing off with chicken/hog wire. Like others have mentioned, bush beans and cukes. I've even used them lying down and draping plastic over them to protect seedlings during downpours.

Kevin