TOWER POWER

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In colonial days, gardeners used pea sticks, made by recycling brush and branch trimmings. A strong central staff with holes bored through

Growing upward instead of outward results in greater space economy, easier harvests, and a feast that's easy on the eyes.

it every inch or two was pushed into the ground, and thin branches pushed through the holes. Peas were then trained to grow on this ladder.

Stakes Everything from cut lumber to bamboo has been used as a support stake for vegetable plants. When choosing a stake, make sure it will be strong enough and tall enough to support the plant. Many bean poles, for instance, have vines extending 8' to 12'. Don't forget, too, that tendril-less plants, like tomatoes, will need to be tied to stakes.

My favorite stake material is standard one-inch lumber. I rip boards into strips the same width as the board's thickness. This gives me stakes that are 3/4"square, a good size for most plants. Plus, these stakes are just the right size for building other support structures.

Tipis and A-frames These are a good way to maximize limited space, especially for peas and beans. What's more, the ground inside the tipi, being shaded by the vines, stays cooler and moister. You can extend cool weather crops, such as lettuce, several weeks by growing them inside the tipi. These can be made from the same 3/4" stakes described above. Simply lean five or six of them against each other and tie them together at the point where they cross.

A-frames can be a bit more elaborate than tipis. To make them, create off-centered X's at one end by bolting two stakes together. You can join as many of these together as you want by attaching them across the top with a cross stake. I find that four X's extending 36" gives me a nicely sized A-frame that just fits over a standard bed. Anything longer than that makes it difficult to tend the secondary crop inside.

Towers A tower will provide ample support for a single plant, such as a tomato vine. Commercial wire cones, for instance, are actually towers, but most of them are too skimpy. It's better to make your own; you can use woven wire fenc ing to create a cylinder 18" to 24" in diameter. Be sure to use wire with openings large enough to let you reach in and harvest the fruit. The smallest practical size for these openings is 4" x 4", and 6" x 6" is really none too large.

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