The standard cage for large indeterminants is made out of concrete reinforcing wire available at Home depot, Lowes etc, for about $1 a foot (or less) in 5 ft wide by 50ft? and 150 ft rolls, also as single 4X7 ft sheets. A 5 ft x 21" diam cage ends up costing about $6. You will have to buy a bolt cutter to work with the large rolls though. I made two dozen cages out of a 150 ft roll. If you do not need many, buy a roll of wire and sell off the extra cages. Most people are stuck with the supermarket cone cages that don't do the job, but don't know where to get anything else. You could also try to scrounge left over CRW from construction sites. I would call concrete companies, tell them what you need, and find out with whom they are working.

I've worked with concrete in the past and this stuff rusts pretty quickly... any problem with that?

No, there is no problem.
I made some of these 10 years ago and they are still
going strong.
There is a roll of that wire up in the woods behind my house
that has been there probably 25 years and it is still good
enough to use for cages.

I have used the base from a rolling composter ( 4'X4'x4' square steel tubing frame) combined with old folding fiberglass and metal tent poles from small tents that had worn out. I laid the tent poles criss cross at various levels to let the tomatoes grow up through them and then arched others over the top. The poles are very flexible and can be tied to the framework and each other in whatever configuration you want. I also covered the whole affair with old curtains to increase the heat inside and attached the curtains with pincher clothes pins. It worked great! Any group that camps with kids and provides the tents probably tosses tent poles out as the tents wear out (boy scouts, boys & girls clubs, etc).

{{gwi:52409}}

The initial rust is powdery so you get covered while making the cages, but after it weathers for a season the rust hardens and isn't as messy as the plants themselves. It doesn't hurt the plants or fruits.

If you have cheap access to bamboo poles, you could build a cage. Same thing goes for PVC pipe and 2x2 wooe.

You could also try putting very sturdy 2X4 lumber in the ground, and then stick nails in and run rope between the nails in a crazy fashion.

One of the "organic gardening" books I've gotten from the library talked about a plant/human-safe coating for plain wood.

I feel your pain..lol.. after years and years and years of scraggly cages made from scraggly materials, I finally broke down and bought a roll of the rebar and it was definitely worth the price..however, I did get mine onsale when the "Depot" was relocating and having a sale. The initial output in price is a bit high but look at all the money wasted over the years trying to come up with something that will last... I realize this is not affordable to everyone but it is the best solution I have found. These cages are tough and vicious if you snag yourself on them and yea there is only one way to cut them..wire cutters. My husband threw a hissy fit when I literally made him buy the rebar but I stood my ground and told him if he wanted me to grow the tomatoes then he will buy it or he can grow them hisself! lol..

I ditto the concrete reinforcing wire also available from Lowe's & Menard's. I've had mine for over 30 years. My husband made them in the mid-1970's. They haven't changed much over the years and look like they will last another 30 years, at least. The only problem we've had is this:
We cut the bottom row so there are 'prongs' to stick in the ground to help keep them upright in high winds and storms. Also, we live on a slope so needed to be able to anchor them in the ground to help keep them upright. Over the years, some of these have broken off. That has been my only complaint. If I only have 1 complaint about something, its really Great! It may be expensive and a lot of work in the beginning but its an Investment. Best Wishes, Barbara.

If you don't like the prices of the re-mesh, check the local auctions, CL and Freecycle for hog fencing. The used is usually sold really cheap. It is a lot lighter than the re-mesh, which means not as much lifting/struggling. It also bends easier and does not rust the way re-mesh does. If you really want that much weight, you can also look for hog and cattle panels. These are 16' by 3' to 5' high, but are near impossible to bend, so better for straight runs.

Billie

There is a guy now posting on a couple of tomato forums who has a neat settup. He runs a series of double lines between sturdy end posts. The lines have a wooden spacer board about 18" long near each end that holds the lines apart horizontaly. He says he only has to tie the occasional branch to the lines otherwise they hold themselves up like in a cage. The cost is low as you only have to buy a roll of the line (it looks like parachute cord - get a deal on ebay), something for posts, concrete, and maybe some turnbuckles for guy wires depending on how you do it. It takes down and stores easily at the end of the season leaving just the end posts.