simy1 said:

I would love advice (from, say, Pat, or anyone else), about which
vines work best on that site. Primarily I am interested in peas,
squash, melons, and cucumbers, but I will entertain beans and
watermelons as well (or anything else I had not thought of).

Youreally should consider beans.. Once I started growing pole beans
I've never gone back. They produce for a long time, at with most of
their crop above stooping level. And some of the best eating beans are
the old pole varieties. IMO, thhe ideal trellis for beans would use sisal
twine stung on a strong frame. At the end of the season, cut down twine
and vines for composting.

All the (non-bush) cucurbits can be trellised. For squash, melons, and
watermelons you will need to provide some sort of support for the fruit.
Where I used to live I grew all of my melons and squash on trellises.

Squash vine borers are a major problem for trellised squash as they can
no longer root along the vine. Plants which might have survived a light
infestation won't on the trellis And while they are usually pretty wilt resistant,
the lack of these additional roots could make them more vulnerable to wilt.

I have given up growing melons and watermelons -- too much spraying is
needed to control the cucumber beetles (which spread bacterial wilt) and I
don't do spraying anymore. I still grow cukes inside a screened box --
seedless types which set fruit without pollination.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)