Here I never prune anything and completely ignore the tomato growth. The toms do what they do and how they wanna do it. I don't mess too much with toms; it's a waste of time. Just let them grow and fruit as they will.

The results in admittedly too-big CRW tubes are more orderly and less sprawling that anything else I've tried. I usually get big plants and they still work for both the big'uns and the medium sized ones. They also work for peas and cukes without one bit of modification.

One of the main advantages of using CRW cages is that there is no need to prune. You let all the stems grow and produce. If you want to prune your plants to only 2-4 stems then you don't need CRW cages.

You feed it just like you would or wouldn't with any other kind of cage or stake. Not sure what you mean by "non-producing stems". All the stems will produce bloom/fruit clusters and leaf branches. You mean leaf branches? Yeah they just poke out of the holes in the cage. Sometimes, if you don't catch it is time, a secondary stem may make it outside too. If that happens and you can't work it back in without breaking it you just lightly tie it up to the outside of the cage.

Indeterminates will top the cage and drape back down the outside and keep on growing.

Dave

I use CRW, and I try to keep anything fruit-bearing inside the cage. If a future fruit bearer escapes and gets beyond being able to be pulled back (happens quickly sometimes) I train it back like any other vine growing up a trellis. My cages are 9 squares round (actually, 3 tall panels of 3 squares wide each linked together with tying wire so they can be later separated for storage and laid flat.)

That said, I use beds 3 plants wide and have my cages around every other plant, checkerboard-style... that way the un-caged plant in between caged ones has an effective cage on at least 3 sides. The only non-reinforced areas are on the edges of the bed for every other plant. There, if, and when a branch shows future need of support, I use a short length of the CRW tying wire run from the cages on either side.

I do prune suckers where I feel appropriate, but not all, and not always at the main stem. I personally like to have 2 main stems. Like many here, I try not to prune determinates at all. Like grubby's, they have free reign, only trained into the 'best' (usually empty if possible) available spaces.

Sometimes a branch on an indeterminate does get free, and if the space it found is empty, it's allowed freedom as long as it's supported for fruit bearing.

However, as grubby alluded, these are just what I find as methods which fit my preferences and style.

Edit: Dave's post wasn't showing yet, but as he said, leaves have no need for support, they run hazard.

gotcha... thanks!

You mean leaf branches? Yeah they just poke out of the holes in the
cage. Sometimes, if you don't catch it is time, a secondary stem may
make it outside too. If that happens and you can't work it back in
without breaking it you just lightly tie it up to the outside of the
cage.

Yes, Dave, this is what I am doing! I am letting leaf branches protrude out the side of the cylinder and (trying) to keep the stems in cylinder. Btw, other than pruning of the leaf branches next to the ground, I don't prune my tomato plants at all.

Thanks grubby, Dave, & rg!