Growing Tomato, Squash, and Cukes this year Vertically! Need ADVICE!!

[vfem]

do the pie pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash and cantalope need extra suport under the fruit or can the vine hold them?

Yep... when they are just right, without support they'll just give from the vine. You may wake up to harvest and have smashed melons and squash on the ground?!

Though there are some smaller one's that will hold up ok... I wouldn't chance it. Tie them up by using women's knee highs!!!

 

[wifezilla]

My cucumbers didn't last year. I made a teepee out of 2 wooden "door grids" and they climbed up the sides and the cucumbers hung down in the middle. My Collective Farm Woman melon climbed a baby gate and didn't need support either, but they only get to the size of a baseball. Larger melons and squash might need support.

 

[aussieheelr]

do the pie pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash and cantalope need extra suport under the fruit or can the vine hold them?

Yep... when they are just right, without support they'll just give from the vine. You may wake up to harvest and have smashed melons and squash on the ground?!

Though there are some smaller one's that will hold up ok... I wouldn't chance it. Tie them up by using women's knee highs!!!

Now that's a very creative use of knee highs I like it!! I have some vine peach that I think will be ok, but I'll definatly stock up on some knee highs for the squashes and regular cantalope. Thanks :happy_flower

 

[jktrahan]

You can see my cucumber arch in the back right:

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[lesa]

That arch is wonderful!!!! Was it hard to pick the cukes? That could be used as the "entrance" to the garden- just lovely! My growing season isn't long enough to get that much vining, or I would be so doing that!

 

[jktrahan]

That arch is wonderful!!!! Was it hard to pick the cukes? That could be used as the "entrance" to the garden- just lovely! My growing season isn't long enough to get that much vining, or I would be so doing that!

Them hanging there makes it super easy to pick:

You can see more pic at my blog:
http://themtrahans.com/wordpress/?p=773

 

[lesa]

That is how I was imagining they might grow! Very cool. Checked out your blog- what a great, beautiful garden!

 

[Ridgerunner]

One way to tell that cantaloupe are ripe is that they separate easily from the vine, so yes, I would worry about the cantaloupe.

 

[obsessed]

Wow! Luv the arch! How many plants are in there and what is the arch made of? I cukes get into gigantic monsters.

 

[jktrahan]

made from hog panel, usually about 6 or 8 plants per side. My dad does the same thing with his beans. He has one panel for beans and one for cukes.

I am totally renovating my garden this year. Raised beds and string trellis for everything, new fencing, etc... hopefully. Anyone know of a good how to on making string trellis?

and a new arch way for the entrance that i started working on...