Trellising: Grow Up Not Out

Lots of the plants we grow for their delicious vegetables take up a lot of space in the garden. You can reduce the space cucumbers, melons, squash, pole beans, and even vining tomatoes take up by training the plants to grow on a trellis. Here are some things to remember when training your plants to grow up, not out.

Benefits of Trellising

In addition to saving space in your garden, trellises keep your vegetables clean and make it harder for pests to reach them. Slugs, snails, and pillbugs are less likely to eat them. Vegetables are less likely to rot. Finally, the trellis allows better air circulation around the plant, reducing disease problems.

Types of Trellises

There are several types of trellises. They can be constructed very inexpensively or be quite ornate. Larger vines and larger fruit require stouter trellis materials.

Pole Trellis

This is one of the easiest trellises to make. Three poles are inserted in the garden soil in a triangle shape. The tops of the poles are tied together. This works best for light plants with smaller fruit, such as pole beans.

Wire and Post

This is the type of trellis that is often used in grape orchards. Metal stakes are driven a foot into the ground. The spacing between the stakes should be around five or six feet. A wire is strung at two feet intervals between the stakes.

Woven Wire and Post

For heavier fruit and larger vines, use woven wire and stakes. Depending on the weight involved, this can be chicken wire or fencing woven wire. Put the stakes every five or six feet.

Tomato Cages

Tomato cages help support both vine and bush tomatoes. Bush tomatoes will get tall enough and heavy enough with fruit that they need support or will fall over. Vine tomatoes, of course, need something to climb. You can also use tomato cages as trellises for smaller vegetables, such as cucumbers and small squash.

Where to Put Trellises

In the Northern Hemisphere, it is best to put trellises on the north side of the garden and the south side of the garden. During the spring and summer, use the northern trellises. In the fall and winter, use the southern trellises. This will put the shadow caused by the trellis outside the garden patch instead of on some of your plants.

Training the Plants Up

As the vines sprout and begin to grow, weave them up onto the trellis. If necessary, use florist ties to hold the vine to the trellis. Be very careful with this because it can pinch off the vine if the ties are too tight. You can also use strips of cloth approximately one inch wide. These are less likely to pinch, but should not be too tight, either.

Supporting Vegetables

Plants such as cucumbers and zucchini squash are harvested before they get too heavy. Melons and large squashes can get so heavy they break the vine. They also slip the vine when ripe and will smash when they hit the ground. The solution is to place the vegetables in a sling tied to the trellis. You can use strips of cloth, woven netting made out of cotton or hemp, or pantyhose. I like pantyhose because it expands as the vegetable grows but is strong enough to support a lot of weight. Whatever you use has to be strong enough to hold the vegetable but soft enough not to damage it.

Mulch

Once the vines are started up the trellis, mulch around them. Do not let the mulch actually touch the vines, but cover the ground under the trellis. This will keep weeds down, keep soil from splashing on the vines, and conserve water.