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Square Foot Gardening

Trellis question for EG or any other trellis expert

daylilyfanatic4

15 years ago

Hi, I have a small SFG 1 4x4 bed and 3 3x3 beds. I would like to grow sugar baby watermelons but I don't think I would have room on the ground so I was thinking of trellising them. I have a couple of questions about that.

1) Is it possible to grow watermelon on the NE side of the trellis. I will have the front side filled up with tomatoes.

2) I want to be able to build the trellis out of material That I already have. I have a couple of 5' tall metal fence posts so if I sink them 1ft in to the ground I would have a 4ft tall trellis. I'm not sure if I could manage with that short a trellis even if there is only 1 plant that can spread out over a 3ft long 4ft tall trellis.

3) what do I use for the vines to grab on to. I have fishing line which I know your not supposed to use to tie plants to a trellis but I'm not sure if it would be ok for plants to grab on to.

4) I was planning on using an old sock to support the fruit would that work?

5) EG, I saw one picture of your double sided watermelon trellis but I was wondering if you had anymore.

thanks in advance.

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Comments (2)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
15 years ago
I'll defer to EG, but:

I wouldn't grow in that position, as you want air flow over both your toms and melons. And I'd be concerned about melons clasping to the toms. And not enough sun late-season. I doubt sinking 1' is adequate to hold the weight against wind. I doubt tendrils would grab and hold well on fishing line; tendrils need friction to hold.

Dan
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
daylilyfanatic - I'll help you all that I can. The only problem with only 12" of the post below ground level is the frost line for your area. If you were to dig a 12" deep hole in the ground, set your post in it - then pour quickrete in the hole, it would work very well.....until next winter. Chances are, you would experience what is called frost heave, in which the actual freezing of the soil tries to push a shallow-buried pole upward. May I suggest positioning each post inside a used tire laid onto the ground, then filled with quickrete? It would work just fine, and could be re-located, if necessary...

About the orientation of the trellis....The long side of my box runs NW/SE, and doesn't cause any problems whatsoever - But, where I live, the sun is much higher in the sky than your location. It won't hurt to try, though.

I would only use wire mesh for the tendrils to attach themselves to the trellis. As Granny stated in another post, it can be a problem for growing things during cold months - but not for your summer garden.

About the sock....it will work, but sure will be quite a balancing act. The great thing about using a knee high, is that it stretches very well ( and believe me, this is a good thing )

A melon vine will set it's first fruit somewhere between the first 2-4 ft of vine ( I know this from experience ), so, I allowed mine to run to the top of the trellis, then coaxed them to run sideways. Little melons were all over the place, and I helped them along the way. Doing so, allowed two of the vines to run a length of 10 ft, on a trellis that was 4ft wide and 6 ft tall.

I'll be glad to show you some more pictures, because as ribbit stated in another thread - I've got quite a library! Ha!

EG
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