Vining Vegetables

Tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and peas are among the crops that usually need some sort of support, but many other fruiting plants benefit from vertical growth too. Try peppers, baby pumpkins, summer squash of all types, berries, and even small melons on vertical supports. You'll be amazed by how much healthier the fruit looks, how easy it is to harvest, and how productive the plant becomes!

Grow your veggie patch vertically as well as horizontally this season, and create more planting space! Many vining and spreading vegetable plants benefit from the support offered by a trellis, pen, or fence. Even if you aren't pressed for space in the garden, there are many reasons to "go skyward":

• Your crop ripens more evenly and cleanly
• Harvesting the veggies is much easier — no crawling around!
• Nibbling pests can't access the crop as easily as when it's not on the ground
• Vining plants cast a bit of welcome shade onto neighboring crops

Nature provides many natural supports for vining vegetables, such as corn stalks for beans (part of the Native American "Three Sisters" planting). But placing a few cages, pens, and fences into the veggie patch at the start of the season can save you considerable trouble later on, as your crops begin to take off. Let them grow up and through these supports, tying the stalks gently if needed, and you'll enjoy your best harvest ever!