I suppose this has been posted somewhere before.. but I did several different searches, and didn't come up with the info I needed.
SO I am curious just WHAT vegetables to you folks grow (or suggest growing) vertically like up the side of a fence.
My garden is about 50' long, and I plan on having a wire fence all down the back side of it. I planted blackberrys last year on about 15 feet of it... but I want to grow some lime beans, cucumbers, squash, etc.
SO some squash can get kind of big, and didn't know if it would hang on the vine. I used crooked neck squash last year, but still some got big on me.
Just wondering what I could grow verticle and save garden space.
-
pickupguy07
- Senior Member
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 7:06 pm
- Location: GA
Of course there's a ton of beans and cucumbers that can grow vertically. Also chayote, or as they are known locally, Mirliton. There's also cucuzza squash that grow to be very large and do well on a fence.
I've also grown cantaloupes on a trellis, but the fruit has to be supported in a sling of some sort to keep it from tearing the stem.
My favorite pole bean is the Asparagus Bean, also known as the Japanese Yard Long. They grow very fast are are excellent producers. I also like Rattlesnake beans for climbers. They are very different than the Yard Longs with pods 6-7 inches long with a kind of fuzzy texture on a good size pod with medium size beans inside. Yard Longs are thinner, but grow to 20-24 inches before I pick them.
For cucumbers, I grow Straight 8 and General Lee varieties. Others swear by Marketmore and I'll have to give that one a try some day.
Tomatoes are also a vining plant and do well supported either on a trellis, encased in wire cylinders or tied to a stake.
I've also grown cantaloupes on a trellis, but the fruit has to be supported in a sling of some sort to keep it from tearing the stem.
My favorite pole bean is the Asparagus Bean, also known as the Japanese Yard Long. They grow very fast are are excellent producers. I also like Rattlesnake beans for climbers. They are very different than the Yard Longs with pods 6-7 inches long with a kind of fuzzy texture on a good size pod with medium size beans inside. Yard Longs are thinner, but grow to 20-24 inches before I pick them.
For cucumbers, I grow Straight 8 and General Lee varieties. Others swear by Marketmore and I'll have to give that one a try some day.
Tomatoes are also a vining plant and do well supported either on a trellis, encased in wire cylinders or tied to a stake.
-
GardenGnome
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 755
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:26 pm
- Location: paradise,ca
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Tall peas, cukes and beans, of course.
If there is a vertical support to cling to, pumpkins and melons will grow up them whether you want them to or not. Wire fencing is perfect for the purpose as long as it's sturdy enough. If the vertical surface doesn't have thin enough structure for them to cling to, just attaching a few sturdy strings for the tendrils and training the vines where you want them to go seem to do the job. I make slings out of net produce bags and insect-proof self-expanding pouches out of old nylon tights (particularly useful for melons).
Also gourds. I've grown birdhouse and bushel, as well as miscellaneous small ornamental ones. We went on a pumpkin picking hayride at a farm last fall when the vines had already browned, and there was a field where all the colorful small decorative gourds had climbed up a wire fence with a stream on the other side of it. It really looked like the little gourds clinging to the fence were trying to make a mad mass escape out of the field so they could float down the stream to freedom.
I'll also be growing Malabar spinach (first time) on a trellis this year.
If there is a vertical support to cling to, pumpkins and melons will grow up them whether you want them to or not. Wire fencing is perfect for the purpose as long as it's sturdy enough. If the vertical surface doesn't have thin enough structure for them to cling to, just attaching a few sturdy strings for the tendrils and training the vines where you want them to go seem to do the job. I make slings out of net produce bags and insect-proof self-expanding pouches out of old nylon tights (particularly useful for melons).
Also gourds. I've grown birdhouse and bushel, as well as miscellaneous small ornamental ones. We went on a pumpkin picking hayride at a farm last fall when the vines had already browned, and there was a field where all the colorful small decorative gourds had climbed up a wire fence with a stream on the other side of it. It really looked like the little gourds clinging to the fence were trying to make a mad mass escape out of the field so they could float down the stream to freedom.
I'll also be growing Malabar spinach (first time) on a trellis this year.
-
pickupguy07
- Senior Member
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 7:06 pm
- Location: GA
Thanks for the info.
I am thinking a guy will give me an old section of chain link fencing he has if I just take it down and haul it off.
I figure that would do as well as anything for plants to climb on.
Right now I figure I'll plant tomatoes, lima beans, cucumbers, (and may try the squash on the fence.
I'm planting water mellons again this year, and plowed up a 5x5 square foot area JUST for the mellons. After growing over 50 feet of vines last year, and getting many mellons but none of them ripe, I think I'll keep them completely out of the garden, and when the vines get a certain length I'll start cutting off the ends and not let them grow longer. Maybe that'll help in the fruit production.??
If anyone has any suggestions,.. feel free to chime in. This is only my second try, so I an still a little wet behind the ears.
I am thinking a guy will give me an old section of chain link fencing he has if I just take it down and haul it off.
I figure that would do as well as anything for plants to climb on.
Right now I figure I'll plant tomatoes, lima beans, cucumbers, (and may try the squash on the fence.
I'm planting water mellons again this year, and plowed up a 5x5 square foot area JUST for the mellons. After growing over 50 feet of vines last year, and getting many mellons but none of them ripe, I think I'll keep them completely out of the garden, and when the vines get a certain length I'll start cutting off the ends and not let them grow longer. Maybe that'll help in the fruit production.??
If anyone has any suggestions,.. feel free to chime in. This is only my second try, so I an still a little wet behind the ears.