Squash & Melon trellis ideas Please

Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:11 pm

I've had no problems in the past letting them run on the ground. What I want to do this year is let them go on a trellis. The Squash I'd like to build like a triangle shape unit and train in to grow in a circle around it. I'm thinking 3ft on eack side. Is this a good idea and how tall should it be if I do this, otherwise how tal and wide should a wall be? The Honeydew I plan on like 4ft wide wall and let it climb, How tall should that be. Every year it seems to be a "Grand Experiment" as I call it trying something different. Ideas and critiqes welcome, thanks.

Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:42 pm

Depending on the size and weight of the melons and squashes, you may have to provide some kind of support for them, to keep them from breaking off before they ripen. I've seen people use things as simple as slings made from pieces of fabric tied to the trellis, to a very elaborate wooden trellis with moveable shelves. I used to have building plans for the elaborate trellis with shelves, but I gave the book away.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:11 am

Kisal- Your answer has nothing to do with the question at hand, I'm not talking about supporting the fruit, I'm asking about trellis size! Fact- no matter the size of the fruit, if the supporting structure is strong enough to support the weight, there's no need to sling the fruit of the vine. Nature has already taken care of that! Ever see the size of a pumpkin stem? It's a vine, it's that size to support the weight without ripping off the vine, H2O melons too! Now, back to the subject at hand.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:31 pm

well...to give you an idea of what I'm doing i have about a 6' chain link fence on one side of my triangle, a garage wall on the other and a 2' high chicken wire cage at the bottom of the third side for my cantaloupe plants which will also be containered on the ground...my plan was to let them grow on the lattice attached to the fence and my currently existing vining flower bush and let any excapee vines grow onto the concrete driveway, thus keeping the melon's from rotting on the ground, as you say and i usually say as well it's all a grand experiment in the scheme of all things gardening...but my thought was the containers might help contain some small part of the growth and help to keep the plants a little more compact and more willing to grow up the fence and trellis....just an idea as well to be sure...but i am experimenting with them, but i do believe the 6' tall and 4' wide section should be plenty big enough to accomodate the size of growth of the plants (now if they grow up and onto the top of my garage roof...well that might be a problem LOL but there's always the ladder to get up there and get the melon's down) but we'll see....not sure if im helping you any...lol all an experiment so feel free to critique back as well

Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:22 pm

greenstubbs wrote:Kisal- Your answer has nothing to do with the question at hand, I'm not talking about supporting the fruit, I'm asking about trellis size! Fact- no matter the size of the fruit, if the supporting structure is strong enough to support the weight, there's no need to sling the fruit of the vine. Nature has already taken care of that! Ever see the size of a pumpkin stem? It's a vine, it's that size to support the weight without ripping off the vine, H2O melons too! Now, back to the subject at hand.

I beg to differ with your assessment. I once grew cantaloupes on a trellis and after having some of the fruit break away from the vine I supported the remainder with my wife's old pantyhose. Sure, the stem is thick and woody, the vine is not near as strong as the stem and I doubt seriously it will support a 20 lb. + pumpkin or similar watermelon just hanging in mid air.

You got some good advise the first time.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:08 pm

I doubt seriously it will support a 20 lb. + pumpkin or similar watermelon just hanging in mid air.

Maybe the seeds came from the same guy that sold Jack his beans. Sorry I could not stop myself.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:24 pm

Depends on what melons exactly you are growing when it comes to supporting fruit. This sugar baby watermelon never would've made it without slinging it.

As for your question about size- this pic shows 18' Long by just uder 4' high.
Back row has 2 sugar baby plants in a hill, 1 honeydew, 1 gold star cantaloupe, 2 minnesota midget cantaloupes in a hill. Full grown the gold star vines were over 9'long (I just had them grow over down the back and back up) sugar baby vines were a little longer. I suggest you go bigger.

Another view showing how I needed to go wider

2 biggest lessons I learned last year when it comes to melon trellising is that planting that much in that amount of space was too much and the foilage wasn't able to be aired out after a rain and they got PM. Also I learned that bigger and stronger is better when it comes to a melon trellis, 3/4" pvc wasn't strong enough. Hope this helps

Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:42 pm

Canoe wrote:
I doubt seriously it will support a 20 lb. + pumpkin or similar watermelon just hanging in mid air.

Maybe the seeds came from the same guy that sold Jack his beans. Sorry I could not stop myself.

You mean to tell me you've never seen a 20+lb. watermelon? I guess you'll never believe me if I told you the world record pumpkin for 2010 weighed 1725 lbs.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 10:05 pm

You mean to tell me you've never seen a 20+lb. watermelon? I guess you'll never believe me if I told you the world record pumpkin for 2010 weighed 1725 lbs.

Yes I have but never in mid air lol. Do those grow in Harry Potters garden? :lol:

Sun Apr 17, 2011 10:22 pm

I have to go up pot my okra and herbs now so I can't look for specific photos but I posted some in this thread: http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... hp?t=24892