You didn't happen to make another video of that one, did you? If so, or if you have photos, I'd like to see it.engineeredgarden wrote:I trellised pumpkins last year with netting and rope, and it was easy to do with the trellis beams above.
EG
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stella1751
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engineeredgarden
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stella1751
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engineeredgarden
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The trellis I grow pumpkins against has a top beam made from a 2x6, and has a span of about 8ft. long. It's capable of holding 200 lbs. with hardly any deflection, but I tend to build things stronger than they have to be. You have to know the width of the trellis before figuring out what to use.....What kind of a cross beam will I need? I suppose you expand the net as the plant grows, right?
Yeah the netting can be tied from several locations so that the entire fruit is covered.
That is very true. If I had the room, there's no way I'd trellis any cucurbit, but that's not the case.You have to consider though, that if those vines were touching the ground, they would set down roots from the nodes and bring up more nutes and water. Maybe training the vines up and down on the trellis would have added benefit.
EG
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franktank232
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I've wondered about this, that is, if cucurbits grow better sprawling on the ground or up on a trellis. You appear to conclude the the ground plants would do better due to the extra nutrients. Would ground plants also out-produce trellis plants?engineeredgarden wrote:The trellis I grow pumpkins against has a top beam made from a 2x6, and has a span of about 8ft. long. It's capable of holding 200 lbs. with hardly any deflection, but I tend to build things stronger than they have to be. You have to know the width of the trellis before figuring out what to use.....What kind of a cross beam will I need? I suppose you expand the net as the plant grows, right?
Yeah the netting can be tied from several locations so that the entire fruit is covered.
That is very true. If I had the room, there's no way I'd trellis any cucurbit, but that's not the case.You have to consider though, that if those vines were touching the ground, they would set down roots from the nodes and bring up more nutes and water. Maybe training the vines up and down on the trellis would have added benefit.
EG
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stella1751
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Franktank, please weigh it when you pick it; I'm interested. I'm also interested in learning how you grew it: space, soil amendments, etc.franktank232 wrote:I currently have 1 Carolina Cross that looks to be around 50 pounds. I'll *probably* be picking it soon, if the tendril would ever turn brown. The bottom looks yellow to me. It seems to have stopped growing.
There's an old thread at [url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27681&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60[/url] that talks about when to know when the watermelon is ripe. Scroll down a ways on the lin, to where MaryDel says, "The brown tendril tells you that you are close, Look for small brown spots on the stem of the watermelon close to where it attaches to the main vine. I am 100% on this method, and none of my fruits have been over ripe."
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engineeredgarden
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garden5 - each way has its own pros/cons. Sprawling plants will produce more, but growing on a trellis reduces diseases by increasing airflow, it's easier to control insects, and several varmints are prohibited from doing damage to the fruit. (except for birds or squirrels). I trellis everything because of the topographical situation presented, and I can't garden in the native soil. Plus, it's pretty fun slinging a big ol' pumpkin about 4 feet off of the ground, too!
EG
EG
engineeredgarden wrote:garden5 - each way has its own pros/cons. Sprawling plants will produce more, but growing on a trellis reduces diseases by increasing airflow, it's easier to control insects, and several varmints are prohibited from doing damage to the fruit. (except for birds or squirrels). I trellis everything because of the topographical situation presented, and I can't garden in the native soil. Plus, it's pretty fun slinging a big ol' pumpkin about 4 feet off of the ground, too!
EG
Yeah, that would be pretty cool. I guess I should have figured that there would be the trade-off between methods. You'll probably have zero fruit- also, by keeping them up, off the ground.