Supporting the Fallen Vine

I bolted through the screen door straight out to the vegetable patch, eager for an honest outdoor test. Over on the edge of the timber planter box, a thick green tomato branch had grown too heavy under its own weight, sagging low and pinning its leaves flat against the damp compost. It needed a solid pillar to rise back up! I spotted a sturdy dry bamboo barbecue skewer resting on the rim, marched over, and drove both hands around its base. Stamping my boots deep into the rich dark soil, I hoisted the bamboo upright and jammed it firmly into the earth beside the drooping stem. Wrapping a loose strand of dry grass around both, I tied a steady hitch. The branch stood tall again, soaking in the open air!