Cage Ops Guide

Daily operations · Mom's Sanctuary
8 × 4 ft · Rear trellis
Front protected · Daily use

Operations Map

Written for the person actually using the cage day to day — opening doors, planting rows, checking wire, harvesting dinner, and resetting the bed for the next wave.

01

Structure Overview

Quick reference for how the cage is laid out and how to use it.

Quick ref Daily use

Key dimensions

Footprint96 × 48 in
Total height~72 in at trellis peak
Hardware cloth band24 in minimum
Rear trellis wall48–54 in above bed
Door opening44–48 in total, two leaves

Zone layout

BACK EDGE
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ TRELLIS WALL / CLIMBING ROW │
│ tomatoes · beans · peas ·   │
│ cucumbers trained upward    │
├──────────────────────────────┤
│ PROTECTED FRONT ZONE        │
│ basil · lettuce · bok choy  │
│ cilantro · radish · arugula │
└──────────────────────────────┘
FRONT DOORS

Door operation

  • Open one door for quick harvesting. Open both for full reach.
  • Close and latch both doors after every visit.
  • If a leaf drags, check mulch buildup first, then hinge screws.
  • Do not force a sticky latch. Realign it now.

How to think about it

  • Back row: the climbing wall. Tall summer workhorses.
  • Front zone: safe, easy harvest. Greens and herbs live here.
  • Doors: your access lane. Plant frequent harvests closest to front.
02

Planting Zones

Climbers in the back. Low crops in the protected front. Frequent harvest closest to the doors.

Planting map Companions
🪴 Trellis zone
Back row climbers

Cherry tomatoes, pole beans, peas, and cucumbers. They use the rear trellis wall and keep the rest of the bed open.

🛡 Protected zone
Front protected crops

Basil, lettuce, bok choy, cilantro, radish, arugula. Easy to reach, maximum critter protection.

✋ Access logic
Easy harvests up front

Anything you snip or re-sow often stays near the doors so the cage feels convenient.

Companion planting

  • Beans + lettuce: beans go up, lettuce stays low, bed stays balanced.
  • Marigolds: tuck near the front edge for pest pressure help.
  • Nasturtium: trap crop and pretty front-row filler.

Spacing per sq ft

CropGuideline
Cherry tomato1 per 2 sq ft
Pole beans / peas4–6 per trellis ft
Cucumbers1 per 2 sq ft
Basil2 per sq ft
Lettuce / bok choy4 small or 1–2 heads
Cilantro / arugulaDense sow, thin later
Radish16 per sq ft
03

Seasonal Playbook

What the cage wants from you across the year. The rhythm of the bed.

Spring to fall Timeline

Season rhythm

Spring

  • Plant first: peas, lettuce, arugula, bok choy, cilantro, radish.
  • Succession: lettuce every 2 weeks, radish every 3, cilantro every 3.
  • Frost: throw row cover inside the cage, not over the whole structure.

Early summer

  • Transition: pull tired cool crops, make room for basil and warm growth.
  • Back row: plant or train cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans.
  • Trellis: check and guide climbers twice a week until they grab on.

Late summer

  • Heat: keep mulch in place, water deeply not constantly.
  • Bolting: cilantro, arugula, lettuce will tell you. Believe them and re-seed later.
  • Fall setup: start new bok choy, lettuce, cilantro as temps ease.

Fall

  • Cool crops return: second great season for greens.
  • Extension: row covers inside the cage help a lot.
  • Front zone: becomes the star once summer climbers wind down.
04

Maintenance Checklists

Small checks keep the cage reliable. Catch things early.

Monthly Seasonal

Monthly walk-through

  • Wire: look for pulled staples, gaps, rust, bowing.
  • Doors: hinges tight, latches align, swing path clear.
  • Trellis ties: replace degraded ties, check load-bearing points.
  • Mesh edges: clip or fold new sharp edges after any repairs.

Soil and bed care

  • Compost: top-dress in spring, midseason, and before fall greens.
  • Mulch: light layer to steady moisture and reduce splashback.
  • Hygiene: pull yellowing leaves and spent plants before they become slug housing.
05

Critter Defense

What the cage stops, what it doesn't, and how to tell when something got in.

Defense Escalation

What the 24″ band stops

  • Rabbits
  • Ground squirrels and low-entry pests
  • Most casual chewing at ground level

What it doesn't stop

  • Deer (if top is open and they try)
  • Birds
  • Insects
  • Anything entering through an unlatched door

Signs of a breach

  • Chewed leaves close to the soil line
  • Disturbed soil near the edge
  • Droppings inside the protected zone
  • Sudden clean haircut on tender greens

Escalation steps

  • Bird netting if fruit or seedlings are pecked.
  • Row covers inside for insects or cold snaps.
  • Extra mesh if ground-level breaches repeat in one spot.
06

Harvest & Succession

Keep the cage productive. Harvest right, replant before empty space wastes time.

Harvest Repeat sowing

Cut-and-come-again

  • Lettuce / arugula: cut outer leaves, leave center growing.
  • Bok choy: harvest young whole or thin outer leaves.
  • Cilantro: harvest lightly and often before it bolts.

When to pull and replant

  • Pull once production drops or bolting starts.
  • Don't leave tired spring crops in prime space into hot weather.
  • As a square opens, decide: fast re-sow or wait for the seasonal shift.

Succession calendar

CropRepeat rhythmBest zone
LettuceEvery 2 weeksProtected front
RadishEvery 3 weeksProtected front
CilantroEvery 3 weeksProtected front
ArugulaEvery 2–3 weeks (cool weather)Protected front
07

End of Season Shutdown

Close the season cleanly so spring starts strong.

Shutdown Winter prep

Season closeout

  • Pull annuals: remove dead warm-season plants from trellis and front rows.
  • Cut back trellis: clear dead vines and expired ties.
  • Clean wire: remove debris so moisture doesn't sit on hardware all winter.

Hardware check

  • Oil hinges: quick pass keeps doors civilized.
  • Check posts: tighten what loosened during the season.
  • Optional: add season extension covers if you want winter greens.

Print note

All sections expanded for printing. Keep in a binder or out in the garden tote.

Climbers in back · Greens in front · Doors latched · Wire checked · Empty squares replanted fast