To maximize your tomato yield, start by identifying the type of tomato plant you are growing – determinate or indeterminate. Determinate varieties grow to a certain size and produce fruit only once, while indeterminate plants continue to grow and produce fruit until the first frost. Choose shorter tomato cages for determinate plants and taller structures like poles or ladders for indeterminate ones. Ultimately, the choice between a cage or a pole is up to personal preference and both methods are equally effective.