| Growing vertically in the garden can make the best | | | | fishing poles are made from) who lets me cut all I |
| use of small gardens. Trellises and arbors can become | | | | want. A local commercial tomato grower uses two |
| stunning displays when covered with a climbing rose | | | | rows of stakes about a foot apart on each side of |
| or a clematis. A chain link fence can be a thing of | | | | the row with stakes spaced about ever 2 foot down |
| beauty covered in Confederate Jasmine, and the | | | | the row. As the tomatoes grow they put string |
| scent when it is blooming can be sublime. | | | | down each side of the rows attached to the stakes. |
| Vertical gardening is often overlooked in the | | | | Using 4 wooden or bamboo poles about 8 foot long, |
| vegetable garden but in a small vegetable garden it | | | | a tepee can be made by tying all the poles together |
| can increase the production. Tomatoes are normally | | | | at one end and standing it up like a pyramid. Then, |
| staked in the garden but there are many other | | | | tomatoes, pole beans or some other vegetable can |
| vegetables which are candidates for growing | | | | be planted at the base of the poles. |
| vertically, pole beans, lima beans, peas, cucumbers, | | | | One of my favorite supports for sugar snap peas |
| melons, pumpkins, and winter squash are a few. | | | | and pole beans is to place a tall post a each end of |
| Pumpkins, melons and winter squash may need | | | | the row. Then about 6 foot from the ground |
| additional supports because of the weight of the | | | | suspend a heavy wire between the posts, also put |
| fruit. There are also some varieties of tomatoes that | | | | one about 6 inches from the ground. Sow your sugar |
| grow very tall and will produce on vertical supports. | | | | snap or pole bean seeds below this lower wire. Now |
| Many different materials can be utilized to make | | | | starting at one end attach a heavy string at the |
| supports. Keep in mind the final size of the plant | | | | bottom wire of one post. Now take the string up to |
| when choosing the support. I remember when I was | | | | the top wire and attach it and come back down to |
| growing up my uncle cut small limbs and stuck them | | | | the bottom wire about 6 to 8 inches down the row. |
| in the ground down a row where he had sown a | | | | Keep going up and down until you get to the other |
| type of pea. When the peas started growing they | | | | post and secure the string. As the plants grow they |
| twined around up through the twigs and limbs, which | | | | will twine up the string and you can harvest the |
| helped support them. | | | | sugar snaps or pole beans without bending over. |
| Cages for tomatoes can be bought or made from | | | | One thing to keep in mind plants on tall supports cast |
| sections of welded wire. They can also be staked to | | | | a shadow, so place these structures on the north |
| metal, wooden or bamboo stakes. I have an | | | | side of your garden to keep from shading shorter |
| neighbor, who has a large stand of bamboo (like | | | | plants. |