I just built a 6'x8' trellis out of 1"x2" boards. this one is for cucumbers though. to make the actual trellis that the cukes will climb, I stapled jute fiber twine to the boards. first I made the horizontal lines. Then when I made the vertical lines I wrapped the line around each horizontal lines. this gives extra strength to the horizontal lines so they don't get pulled down by the weight of the plant and veggies. I also used the jute for the "guide wires" on the corners, this provides extra stability so the trellis doesn't wobble back and forth in the wind. The 1x2's come in 8' lengths, last year I didn't cut them and my trellis was 8'x8'. but the cucumbers only climbed about 6'. This year I made the trellis 6' high (still 8' wide). Next time I will drill holes every 6 inches and tie the jute to the boards (stapling was actually a pain, and will be a bigger pain when it comes time to remove the staples). Another tip, last year I screwed the trellis onto my raised bed frame. but since your not supposed to grow the same crop in the same spot (if possible), I needed to move my trellis. so this year I made sleeves to slide the trellis post in to.

I wanted to revive this old thread, because I feel it's got some useful stuff in it. I'm growing the 2 squash mentioned by the OP, and would like to ask Ray about the spacing. I see in the book it states 1 per 2 sq ft. I have a bed 4 feet wide, and currently have one side of a trellis available that is 4 ft tall. I'm thinking that I could plant 2 out of the 3 varieties I have started in milk jugs, that are most compact (if such a thing exists when speaking of winter squash) from spaghetti, waltham butternut, and buttercup. Hopefully, the tomatoes on the other side of the trellis will be done producing by the time the squash vine has grown to the top of this 4 ft trellis, and I can yank the toms and let the squash grow down the side where the toms were. The most vigorous of the 3 will be planted at the bottom of my tallest trellis, which is 6 feet tall (my cucumbers are there now, but will be coming in hot and heavy in the next 2 weeks) Can Ray or Trev comment on this? Which of the 3 has the most uncontrollable vine?

I agree with Annie on the interchangeable part....but I prefer hubbard to butternut. There really are lots of varieties of winter squash....all of them with subtle differences. I find acorn stringy, butternut a little dense, some delicata a little watery, hubbard HUGE and sometimes stringy, Marina del chioggia has a bit of a smokey taste....and I am still searching for the elusive galleux....said to be the sweetest and most delectable. And it must be, a friend gave me one and I left it outside for a bit as a fall decoration and the critters ate it up!! In spite of stringy, watery etc...I love all winter squashes!!

We don't have the same type of farmers' markets here with entirely different vegetables but if I lived where summer's bounty included all that good stuff, I'd be tempted to make it (except for the turnips, LOL)& if I invited friends over to help me eat it. It certainly sounds good.