I was thinking about some kind of trellis, and maybe tilting it back a little so that gravity can help keep good contact with the vines.

Here is a URL for the page where I got the idea to try an angled trellis:
http://www.garden.org/ediblelandscaping/?page=201105-trellising-tomatoes

I'd love to hear what you all do or see pictures.

--McKenzie

At the bottom is a link to instructions with pictures.

And a couple more pictures from this year. The cages
you see are 6 feet tall.

McKenzie ... I have similar problem with cages that I have made from CRW. They are super sturdy , but not quite tall enough (4 ft?)
I have a plant to extend them by about 1 1/2 - 2 foot. This is how I am going to try to do it:
ATTACH THREE 3/4" BY 3 FT. REBARs TO IT AS LEGS.

Now, drive about a foot of the legs into ground and your cage's top will be 6 ft from ground.

I have not done any of this but my cottage has cpvc pipes throughout, so have worked with it for decades. it is strong, durable, and versatile. You can also use it to hold netting.
Say you have a 20x20 foot area. You can use 3/4 inch 10 ft electrical conduit in ground in a square around it. Bend 1/2 inch pvc into the holes and throw a net over it. I have seen this done. Looks awesome, works really well!

Not true, I have 3/4 inch sections hanging in the air under my cottage filled with water. One is over 20 ft long. It does sag, but will not break.

You could also start the PVC at the bottom of the pot or in ground and bury it for added support. The rebar idea is good too, you combined ideas! You could also go 1 inch, that stuff ain't moving!
In ground put in rebar or other stakes and place PVC over it.

--1- If the legs are driven into ground about 8" or so.
--2- if the partitions are no more than 12" or so.

In the second case,, it will take a lot of work and you have to use a lot more fittings and pipe and probably will cost many times more than CRW cage;

MATERIALS: estimation
== 4 pce of 6 ft length , just for the legs( cost ~ $6)
== about 30 ft for the horizontal sections.(cost ~$8)
== 30 pces of fittings( cost ~ $10)
.................... TOTAL ESTIMATED COST ~~~ $25.00
anyway I estimate and even cut down on materials(have less sections) still it is very expensive. with a 84" by 48" CRW I can make a real tall and sturdy cage. COST = $7.20

The PVC is 3/4 inch, but the partitions are more than
12". I just tie the vines to the PVC with the green stretchy
garden tape. I use them over and over again. Same
with the PVC. Some pieces are over 10 years old. They
last forever. A lot easier to work with than CRW. And
you can break them down for winter storage. I don't think
I would like those CRW cages getting in the way of
winter garden work.

Cost isn't cheap, but it's about the same as the TTC.
Spread that out over a few years and it's not too bad.

The link shows various trellises made with these panels. You can either make arches out of them, or mount them horizontally. I found them to work well either way; you just poke the growing vine through a square in the grid. I only had to tie a couple of the vines in place; most of them were supported well by the grid without tying.

The grids are about $20 from Tractor supply. You'll need posts and clips to install them. That's a one time expense, and they'll probably outlast you.

--McKenzie

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably do something similar.

Different solutions for different spaces.

In my cramped space, my PVC cages work wonderfully.

One variety of cucumber I was impressed with was the Armenian cucumber. It's not a true cucumber so it doesn't have the bitterness in the skin and seeds; it has pale green flesh, very pretty, and my wife and MIL like it because they're very sensitive to regular cucumbers.

I've been considering them for next year but in a custom 72" height.

Each panel is about 20 dollars, and you also need some t-posts ( a fence post that in cross section is a t), and some clips to fasten to panel to the posts.

You can get all these supplies at tractor supply. You can, I suppose, use heavy duty staples to attach the panel to a wooden post, but it's much less work to use the t posts. If you're gonna set up a bunch of these, you might want to get a t-post driver--it's a heavy hollow metal tube with handles that make driving these posts really easy, much easier than a sledge hammer.

Here's the panel I used:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h

here are the t posts I used (they are available in different lengths as well)

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/studded-t-post-6-ft-125-lb-per-foot

and here's the post driver:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/deluxe-post-driver

Somewhat pricey when you add it up, but it's a one time expense: these items will probably last for many years, and next year when you go to start your garden the trellises will already be in place. And if you get tired of vegetable gardening, these would make a great support for climbing flowering vines or roses.

I have also tried the "florida weave" and similar systems, but the wind blows here just too much, and with indeterminate tomatoes, it just does not work.

Cages work up to their height, but are a pain to store, and unless they are anchored with rebar, will eventually fall over.

I have had my best luck with the cattle panels, and am gradually building up to use them exclusively. The only down side to the panels is expense, and I could see where they might be too heavy for some folks. They last forever and store flat. A very smart investment.

Nice pics Arley! I plan on doing around 200 plants next year, so I will post pics then. If I have time! ;)

Just drive through the countryside and see what systems neighboring farmers are using. I know that in the farming regions of PA you'll see greenhouses standing on many roadsides. Surprisingly many who have them are not using the framework as support for the plants within.

I use hoop houses, but very little of it is for tomatoes. Nothing is like a traditionally grown tomato, if you have the growing season. Some folks use hoop houses for tomatoes here. They are the ones with tomatoes left at the end of the market day.

I do agree that you should look at what your neighbors , and what experienced farmers are doing. Just don't be afraid to think for yourself. Most folks use cages here, cuz that what has always been used.