Got trees? Cut young saplings 6' tall and use them to make stakes or tripods. Or why not just lay down a thick layer of mulch and let them sprawl. Many do that.

Then there is the Florida weave method that just requires some posts and lots of string.

Use the search to pull up all the many discussions here on 'stakes or cages' for lots more ideas on supports.

Dave

In your case, it's not good to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Spending more at the beginning means you will use the system for longer, rather than having to replace every year.

I think since with a cage you're reaching through (4x4) opening anyway, the better (less work, less CRW, probably fewer stakes required) option is to "fence" both sides of the 2-ft or so wide row(s) with the CRW, to make one long "cage" for the plants rather than individual 2.5-3ft diameter cages. Has anybody tried this?

I've read about people who grow tomatoes against a cyclone fence (access to the other side might not be easy).

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6245-tomato-trellis-clips-100-count.aspx
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/392

[I've purchased these from various catalogs over the years; someone has them in bulk; the hydroponics people sell them too. So far, they last forever. I prefer the red clips; the white ones are okay; I tried Gardeners' Supply Company's green clips a couple of years ago, but they often pop open, so I don't recommend them. These clips are also good for training cucumbers and gourds.]

Ed - yeah, I was thinking I'd make those cages too, but that's a lot of cutting and bending and still think it takes up more storage space than just rolling 1 length (or 2) back up. Agree access is better with cages (if you leave room to walk between), but if you've got a 2.5-3ft dia cage and leave 1ft between so plants are on 4ft center, that's 1-1.5ft closer than I'd plant in row (fenced or woven) so not only takes more material but more real estate. Depends on how much land and how many plants you have, like you said to each his own.

Actually, I really liked the SFG idea of having a trellis (like a headboard LOL) at the north end of a bed or along a "trench" (I tried a 100 ft long raised bed) but the indeterminates are just too big (or I'm too lazy pruning!) for that to work.

Sorry for the confusion. This is a vertical trellis.

When I said 14", I mean that the bottom edge of the stock panel (they're 16' x 4 1/2') is about 14-16" off the ground; that means that the top of the panel is nearly 6' off the ground (quite a bit taller than I am). So I am picking from wherever the lowest fruit are up to as high as I can reach.

I do spend quite a bit of time weaving and managing the stems, but that time is useful for noticing hornworms and other problems.

The panels are supported by 6' T-posts (it's not a problem that they don't reach the tops of the panels), and are wired to the T-posts (near top and near bottom). Two panels overlap a few inches at a T-post, and there's also a T-post in the middle of each panel. I don't know if that's overkill, but that's how the neighbor's son who built it wanted to do it, and it's still standing after four years.

The holes are 6 x 7" -- IIRC -- except at the top edge of the panel, where they are closer together, presumably for stability.

I've planted indets 4' apart along the trellis, with essentially no pruning. I do have access to the plants from the other side of the trellis (this is a 4' raised bed, with the trellis in the middle; I tend to put herbs and smaller veggies on the other side, 12-18" from the trellis).

You could do the same thing with CRW, and it would probably be cheaper. I like stock panels because they don't rust. I suspect they're stiffer than CRW but have no frame of reference.

This article has a CRW trellis, held up by a conduit frame; there are a couple of photos. It's the second example: "Cement Reinforcing Mesh Trellis with EMT Electrical Conduit."
http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/tomato_staking.html

I've also read (probably here?) of someone who made a double trellis of 2 rows of CRW/panels/whatever, with the tomatoes planted in-between. I don't remember how close the two rows were (probably a foot or so?).

T posts are on sale at TSC so I may go pick some up, just have to decide what I'm going to do with the CRW (actually, I need DH to help put up fence, takes 2 people and he's the only one who can cut it). Have some time to think - way too early here to think about planting tomatoes, though I may start hardening off in a week or 2.

I really want to try some more trellis growing this year, esp. for my dad. I haven't got time to build raised bed "tables" for him (well, maybe a couple for non-vining squash) so something we can put up pretty quickly with CRW and T posts or 3-4ft lengths of logs with a horizontal mesh would be good for his tomatoes (which he usually lets sprawl) cukes and beans, etc. would be good since he has a really hard time bending over.

In one arrangement, a 16' stock panel is bent into an arch. [Stakes -- probably rebar or metal pipe -- keep the arch in place, though I also remember one which was wedged between wooden raised beds. Some people use this for an entry arch between fence sections, with clematis or roses or whatever covering the panel.]

The second way uses half a stock panel. One end is at ground level, and the other end is propped up to about 6'.

If you're lucky, the cukes or beans hang down on the underside of the panel for easy picking.

I have ordered my bamboo only twice in 15yrs. I trellis just like the picture linked, but in two long rows, one for toms and one for beans. I need 50. You would only need 25 for 16 plants. My garden gets high winds in an open field so i need the support. I use velcro ties. Mulched with straw it is attractive and low maintenance. I grow a thick patch of carrots down the middle for a nice late fall treat.

Lots of ideas on this site for free trellis plans...
http://free.woodworking-plans.org/tomato-trellis-designs.html

After reading about the REWire sheet (40" x84") here, today I went to HD and bought ont , $7.20 +tx.
I cut of about 14" from it(endin like 40" x 70") and made a nice sturdy cage . I also cut off the last horizontal wires(ground side) so the vertial one could be stuck into ground.
After doing that, it felt pretty stable bur I also fastened it to a stake. At $8.00 bucks, this is far superior even to the so-called Heavy Duty cages sold at big box stores.

But with this one, you have to be handy and willing to do some fun work. A big bundl of the same material is sold for about $105. and probably you can make more than 20 cages from it. In this case, you cam make them slightly conic (like paper cups) so that they can be inserted into each other for ease of storage .

Perhaps the only draw back of this (to some) is that it is about 4 1/2 ft tall. But to me that is ok. After 4.5 ft , I will let my toms to cascade. they will never reach the ground.