For stakes I have done a couple of different things. I like "T" posts. I live in farm country and tend to be able to get them when folks are pulling old fences. One of the other options I use is a 1X or 5/4 decking board. cut the end at an angle and drive it into the ground at least a foot - I like having roughly 3 feet above ground. Then when you make your cage overlap the ends to essentially make a pocket. Then use that pocket to place the stake. I make my cages 5 feet high and a circumference of about 6 feet. I make narrow cages as I want to promote vertical growth - to get beyond the reach of the deer. Anything that sticks out beyond the cage the deer get (natural pruning) and thus the tree focus on growing up and not out! Yes the wood stake will rot after a few years, but with decent growth you only need the stake for a few years.
Here is one with the wood stake. Tree is a chestnut.
Here is the overlap section.
This allows me to easily lift off the cage to access the tree - I'm 6 feet tall so this works great for when the trees are smaller. I have also drilled a hole in the stake in a few places to allow better attachment points if needed as well in some cases. Most of the time the natural tension in the cage itself is all I need to keep the cage on the stake.
Another take on a similar practice - I like zip ties. They are cheap, I tend to get a year or two out of them before they break on their own and I can easily snip them with my knife to access the tree. Again with the narrow cage.
In the 3rd pic above you can also see where I have used some "hardware" cloth (fine metal screen) to protect the trunk. VERY important to do this and keep in mind the amount of snow you get and to ensure the screen goes down to the ground....if not into the soil.
On my fruit trees I put down a weed barrier (that allows water to pass) and then cover it with gravel from the creek to keep weeds in check as well. I used to use wood mulch but lost a tree to voles chewing off support roots under the mulch.....no issues since I have switched to gravel.
Tag them (type and date)....I thought I would remember the few I planted.....I was wrong.
After you try different things you will find what works for you. Some like zip-ties, while others like light weight bailing wire. Some like metal takes other like wood. It's all a matter of what you have available and what you can reasonably get your hands on. As long as your keeping the deer and rodents off them.....that is what is important.
