How to Build a Terrarium Fort for Tomatoes

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) grow best in the long warm days of summer, shriveling away overnight with the first frost of fall. Extend their growing season a month or more by enclosing them in a terrarium fort. Holding in the heat like a tiny greenhouse, this season extender is a first-class abode for frost-shy tomatoes. Unlike most season-extending structures, terrarium forts are designed to fit the tall, narrow form of tomato plants and are made from materials found in any hardware store.

2, 8-foot long 2-by-2-inch lumber
2, 8-foot long two-by-fours
Wood saw
3-inch exterior wood screws
6 mil sheet plastic
Scissors
Staple gun

Instructions

- 1
  Cut two 8-foot lengths of two-by-fours into eight 2-foot pieces. Cut two 8-foot lengths of 2-by-2 lumber in half, forming four 4-foot pieces.
- 2
  Screw the ends of the two-by-fours together to make two identical squares, using two 3-inch wood screws for each corner.
- 3
  Place a square flat on the ground, and stand one of the 2-by-2s on the inside of one corner. Screw the 2-by-2 into both two-by-fours, using a 3-inch wood screw in each direction. Repeat the process with the three remaining 2-by-2s so their four "legs" stick up from the square.
- 4
  Place the other square flat on the ground, and stand the 2-by-2 "legs" of the structure inside the four corners. Screw each 2-by-2 into the two-by-fours using the same method as before.
- 5
  Cut four strips of sheet plastic to match the dimensions of the sides of the structure and one square to cover the top. Staple these to the frame so they are as taut and airtight as possible.
- 6
  Lift the structure over the tomato plant and set it down on the ground to enclose the plant.

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