Hi Ali-B! It looks like you are putting together an ambitious garden! I love the blue square structures you've made, they are classic.

I always have to plant my tomatoes fairly close together. As you said, pruning helps that situation a lot.

Have you seen the colorful tomato cages that are out there in some of the garden shops? This might be a way to go. They would offer support to the plants and keep them from becoming totally entwined - and they would add a pretty row of bright color along the fence.

I know some of these cages are expensive - but there's no reason you couldn't paint some plain ones with the Rustoleum paint that's out there in bright colors.

One other thought - and this is what I have done with my plants this year - you could have a tepee made of three tomato sticks between two plants - and tie up the plants to the outside stick on each side as it grows. I have done this with six plants and then put a longer tomato stick across the three tepees, to hang a glass wasp jar. And I painted the tepee sticks a pale blue, (just like the blue you've used on your structures!).

Whatever you decide to do, you can certainly use the fence to help support the plants.

Just my thoughts - Good luck!

Thanks for the ideas! I used the square trellises for tomatoes last year, but I used determinate varieties. The indeterminates will just engulf the 4' trellises.

I did think about the colored tomato tepees. I also like your idea of connecting your tomato tepees. Hmmm......

I thought I'd pass along my hubby's suggestion. He thought I should string some sturdy rope between the two end fence posts and drop a string to each tomato.

alib, do you by any chance take Fine Gardening MAgazine? They have a great article in the June 2011 issue on this very topic. They show attractive and unique ways to train tomatoes to fences, arbors, and bridges. You might still be able to find this issue in stores.