Growing Tomato, Squash, and Cukes this year Vertically! Need ADVICE!!

[riverman]

I've been reading a good bit about growing vine crops vertically this fall so I'm planning on doing it this spring. Going to put a 6 ft T-post at the end of each row and a metal bar horizontally from one top to another, and hang nylon or hard yarn from the horizontal bar to the ground, for the vines to climb.

Has anyone does this?? How was this method compared to cages.. tresses...? Any info will help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've used something very similar for cucumbers and pole beans. It works very well. You need to sort or wrap or guide them onto the strings, but once they get started, they climb on their own.

I have not done squash or tomatoes that way so I can't say too much about them. The tomatoes will not climb on their own so will have to be tied. When I tie tomatoes, I rip an old tee shirt into strips and use that to give something a little bigger and hopefully softer to use than small diameter string. I tie a bowline knot around the tomato plant so it will not slip and tighten, thus choking the plant. Any non-slip knot will do. I'm sure others have done something similar to what you plan and will chime in with better advice.

Are you talking about winter squash or summer squash? The winter squash are pretty much vining but the summer squash and zucchini can be more bush type. I think each type might have their own unique applicationss, but I have not tried trellissing either of them.

 

[boggybranch]

I'm with Rr on this one. Don't think it would work with summer squash and maters......but, then again, people used to think the earth was flat.

 

[lleighmay]

My mom used to do this for tomatoes. There was a tall post planted at each end of the row and a length of heavy baling or steel fence wire running from one to the other. She would tie each plant up with baling twine which was shortened as the plants grew. They never would climb on their own but it was a tidy way of keeping the vines off the ground. Where she lives now (since she's no longer canning scads of tomatoes for a family of 6) she uses t-posts on each end of a section of cattle panel wire. The plants are alternated down each side of the wire and as they grow they reach through the wire, which holds them up nicely.

 

[vfem]

Here's a great article from last month's Mother Earth News Mag. They covered the techniques for growing vertical, and what worked and how.

We'll be doing a lot of that this year as well.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/orga...campaign=FG&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

 

[wifezilla]

I have a tiny lot. Vertical is my only option. I tied some climbing tomatoes to a support made out of the wire innards of a busted box frame. It worked great. My cages tomatoes overgrew their cages and ended up a big tangled mess. ALL tomatoes are being tied to cattle panels or other supports this year!

 

[TanksHill]

That's a great idea Zilla, I have a cattle panel or two I could do that with.

hummmm .....

 

[boggybranch]

Just got this link in my email. Good timing, huh?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/orga...campaign=FG&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email

 

[vfem]

Boggy... you're a copy cat! LOL

 

[boggybranch]

Oops......My bad......"Senior moment"