Question about vining plants?

[kennedyscochins]

I am new to gardening. I live in zone 6 and have been building raised garden beds. I have some of them designated to cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe because they vine so much. I have been seeing some people on here posting that they make a trellis and let these climb????? Is this correct? If so, it would help me tremendously, but how would the vines and trellis support the bigger fruits? Pics would be great if you all are doing this! Thanks.

 

[1iora]

I'm interested in hearing about this too! I have very limited space, so any upward-mobility (heh) is welcome.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've never tried pumpkins, watermelon, canteloupe or the really big winter squash, like Hubbard, on trellisses, but cucumbers, gourds, and the smaller winter squash are absolutely no problems on trellisses. The vines can easily support them. I always trellis cucumbers and gourds. I've had acorn and butternut winter squash vines climb up on corn plants and develop hanging squash. They easily support them.

I would not be shocked to hear that watermelon, pumpkin and the Hubbard squash could be supported by the vines, but I have not tried that. The canteloupe I'd worry about because one way to tell a canteloupe is ripe is that the stem pulls out easily.

 

[catjac1975]

All of the vining plants that you mentioned actually do better on a fence or trellis but it is not necessary. I have a 90X90 garden and make use of all of the fencing for growing all kinds of crops. It is a very strong well built fence. I have had giant rumbo squash hanging from it. The can easily grow 25-40 lbs. I don't put melons on a fence but, I raise the fruit up on inverted plastic plant pots. I started do this when I went to pick a gorgeous melon only to discover it had been hollowed out from underneath presumably by a mouse or chipmunk. Of course it was at it's peak.
Animals know when the crops are ready. A raccoon would never eat corn before it peaks.

 

[vfem]

I trellis mine, it helps a whole lot with space issues and mildew issues associated with vining plants. I did the cantaloupe and watermelon on old fence sections. I tied them to the fence and wrapped them around the posts. I secured them with old ripped up t-shirt material. Then for the fruit to grow and expand I used those netted bags onions come in to support the fruit as it grew. Sometimes I don't have enough of those saved so I use knee high panty hose from Walmart. They sell them for $1 for 2 pair in these little plastic bubble containers. Easy peasy!

You can also make your own trellis out a MILLION different things! Its quite fun doing it from found objects, left over scraps or splurge and make something extra beautiful from some good wood or metal. I'm making some bean pole trellises out of bamboo this year. Cheap, free actually, and the kids will have it as a tee pee to play in over the summer.

Space saver I'll get lots of beans out of!

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I always grow my cucumbers up a fence. This year I'll also try summer squash (zuchini and crookneck) to keep them off the ground. I've read that the stems are strong enough to grow watermelons and pumpkins vertically but I've never tried it.

 

[ducks4you]

RE: vining plants, you can use practically ANYTHING that allows the vines to grow upright. Try pruning your trees and tying these together into a teepee.
http://www.sunset.com/garden/tipitrellisprojectgallery-00400000038481/
They would even vine from a pot and something like this:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3344/
I even saved a metal (rusting) headboard for vining plants this year. It's gold and shiny and I'll need to be creative with my beans--maybe scarlet runner?--to make it look artistic.
I spent a couple of years studying up on raised beds. I dug 4 raised beds last year. They were each 2 1/2 foot deep (below ground level), and measured ~3' x 12' wide/long and I used 6" cheapo fencing wood on the sides with clearance 2 x 6 and 2 x 8 boards on the ends. Your raised beds do not have be high above the ground. Their purpose is to NOT compact your soil. Every flower and herb plant that was growing in these beds that I pulled out to bring inside (the ones I had bought) had roots that were 5x bigger and wider than when I planted them. EVERY plant came out much more easily, too. I HIGHLY recommend them. I will be deep digging the other 4 beds this April. They will have warm weather crops, so I'll have a good month or so to double their current depth of about 12 inches deep in tilled soil.
This is the southmost bed--

Here is the next one north, which grew cabbages, etc. last year--

This one grew zuccini (HORRIBLE harvest in 2011) and beans--

Here are a few articles to read that I think will help you:
http://www.gardenguides.com/931-guide-gardening-raised-beds.html
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6985
http://www.sunset.com/garden/perfect-raised-bed-00400000039550/

 

[so lucky]

I let my cukes vine up some repurposed tomato cages last year. Worked pretty well.