Besides finishing a drip irrigation system, I have also more than
doubled my gardening space, with a new, full sun, 25X25 area in very
sandy soil (Zone 5.5, SE MI). The area consists of two walk-in
tunnels/hoophouses made of rebar, so I can keep gardening in the cold
months under cover.

Now it has occurred to me that the rebar is also a strong trellis so
that for the first time I can contemplate growing vining veggies
during the warm season (in fact, standing inside the tunnel, the vine
comes towards you as it grows up the rebar). So far I had avoided
vines due to lack of space - zucchini may have been yellow or green
but they were strictly bush. A nice side effect is that I will
probably get enough nitrogen from peas or beans that I can mulch
entire beds with wood chips, of which I have many cubic yards. Another
one is that I can probably have summer lettuce or other fast bolting
greens (or slow growing fall veggies) under the canopy provided by the
vines.

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).
Specifically the suitability for soil and climate, for trellising as
opposed to creeping, and resistance to pests or diseases proper to our
region. For example, which kind of wilt resistance should I be looking
for in squashes? There are at least three.

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)

(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in message ...
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.

Thanks.

"Brigitte J." wrote in message ...
"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
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.

How did you suppose the melons and squash? I'm imagining shelfs on the
trellis...?

Brigitte

Old stockings would hold them up I suppose, and rebar will take a
couple hundred pounds over 25 feet. Unless we are talking about those
heirloom Hubbard squash
I would like some day to try...

Brigitte J. said:


"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message

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.

How did you suppose the melons and squash? I'm imagining shelfs on the
trellis...?

Shelves made of chicken wire for the larger squash and watermelons and slings
made of old hose for the melons. The 'shelves' were supported by the wire fence
mesh I ran between the main supports of the trellis on one side, and the outside
corners were supported by seperate wires back to the trellis or fence mesh.

(Crude ascii drawing; works best with a fixed font.)

plane | \
of | \
trellis | \
| \ -- support wire
|____\
shelf

I trellised my melons, squash, and cukes all the time at my smaller, pre-Plymouth
garden.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

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