Jack might have had his legendary beanstalk, but a local woman has her own sky-climber growing in her garden.

Deb Wainer's tomato plant towers above her 5-foot-3-inch frame at 8 and a half feet.

"For all it's worth, I'm amazed at it," she marveled.

The Lancaster city resident has been growing tomatoes for more than 30 years and over that time, she's tried different ways to grow them.

This year she went to Boas Garden Center on Columbia Avenue and bought pre-seeded plants for 89 cents each.

Wainer said her plants "took off like weeds" with the help of some early morning sun and plenty of water.

A weekly application of Miracle-Gro is an added treat to keep her tomatoes plump and productive.

"We've been eating them. For what I paid for them, they've already made up for themselves."

She is not exactly sure what kind of tomatoes she has grown, but determines they are either Beefmaster or Early Girl tomatoes. Both types average a height of six to eight feet, according to www.gardenguides.com. In the tropics, the plants can bloom to well over 15 feet.

For now, Wainer is glad she has tomatoes to eat for BLTs, salads and her family recipe for baked tomatoes.

"Nothing beats the taste of a fresh tomato. It's something we look forward to every summer."

nherman@lnpnews.com