The fine art of trellising

**hadassahchana**[$] · #1 06-09-2002, 08:25 PM

Has anyone here had much experience with using trellises in order to increase production in a small vegetable garden?

I'm going to try growing the following up trellises:

cucumbers (I've done them this way before)
cantaloupe
small watermelon
and...
pumpkins

Has anyone ever tried using trellises for pumpkins before? If so, what happened? What did you use for support?

Cindy

Psychovant · #2 06-10-2002, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hadassahchana
Has anyone here had much experience with using trellises in order to increase production in a small vegetable garden?

Has anyone ever tried using trellises for pumpkins before? If so, what happened? What did you use for support?

Cindy -

I have done this before with several different fruits and veggies. Cucs are easy (as you know). With pumpkins and some of the gourds we tried I just made shelving under the ones that I wanted to keep as they grew on the vine and cut off some of the "undesirables" so as to not allow the plant to waste energy on them.

Haven't tried cataloupe but I suspect it would work the same way. Lemme know how it goes. I think I have a book around here somewhere on it, I'll dig around.

Shannon ...

sylvanb · #3 06-10-2002, 11:32 PM

I saw a picture somewhere of "bras" made of pantyhose and tied to the trellis to support melons. I haven't tried it myself, but I think it's a charming notion.

**hadassahchana**[$] · #4 06-11-2002, 08:24 AM

Pantyhose?! What a great idea. I always have worn-out ones. However, the idea makes me just howl. My next door neighbour is an enthusiastic organic gardener, so she'll just think this is great.

However, my neighbours two ddoors down are the kind who edge their lawn with tiny shears to make sure it's precise, who have the Chem-Lawn guy in three times a summer- and they will NOT be amused. They are already fairly appalled by the absence of my side lawn and the appearance of my raised bed filled with veggie plants.

Cindy

sylvanb · #5 06-11-2002, 09:41 AM

Well, maybe you could dye the pantyhose in tasteful colors.

We have a neighbor, Italian, whose yard is like a formal Tuscan garden writ small. Sculpted shrubs topped with pots of flowers, white gravel in between, bedding plants lined up like little soldiers. He hounded the neighbor between us to take out their street tree (big oaks, gradually vanishing) because it messed up his art work.