Since I was able to clean up my berry area over the weekend, I want to go ahead and get the site ready to add a trellis to grow some contaloupe. Here's where it will go... about where the water hose is laying. Berry Patch ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) I was thinking of putting a straight line trellis, but realized it would hamper me from getting to the strawberries and blackberries. So I plant on doing a cage. I have the fencing and supports. It'll be 5 foot tall and approx. 3 foot in diameter. How many plants should I use? I'm guess no more three. And will that 5 foot be tall enough?
Cherylad, I have also started cantaloupe and sugar baby indoors and what I have found out through youtube and other internet searches is that the wines are usually 5-6 feet tall only and each wine bears 4-5 fruits. So, I believe your cage will have more than enough room for 3 plants. We have a 4 feet tall fence and I was planning on training the wine to climb the fence but I like your Idea. Please update us with the picture of the cage when you are done
I wouldn't plant any mellon on a trellis. A mellon will put out axillary feeder roots along the vine. As soon as the vine starts up the trellis the production will drop significantly.
My brother grew cantaloupe vertically (by accident) last year. They did really well and tasted yummy! My uncle always grew his cucumbers on a fence or trellis. They were the best cucumbers ever... was just talking with my cousins about them the other day and they remember the same thing... those cucumbers!
My cucumbers do great on a trellis also but i never noticed supplemental roots on the vines. The other melons, grow some on a trellis and some away from the trellis but nearby.
I have never tried them on a trellis. You can try it and tell us how it worked. I don't have any axillary roots since I plant in black plastic mulch...no where for them to root to. So I don't see why you can't get enough for you at least. I am growing to sell them and need as much production as I can get, but I am not fighting the weeds, either. They also need as much heat as I can get to them so we put the plastic down to warm up the ground a few days or week before planting.
Yes Carolyn... just growing for me and maybe share with a couple of folks. I'd rather have cantaloupes than watermelon... and the one's in the stores just don't have any flavor to them. So with my limited space, I figured vertical would be worth a try. I just don't have it in me to do a whole garden, so a few things here and there will be plenty for me.
Cheryl, I have several pictorial examples showing vertical growth and the use of trellises to suspend large melons and squash. Interested? Jerry
Thanks Jerry... I've been doing some looking online too. But please feel free to share since you may have found something I didn't.
Just keep in mind that each cantaloupe will need its own support because when they ripen they disconnect from the vine on their own. If not supported they will drop and burst.
Thanks for not letting me forget out the supports. I plant to use old stockings.. well... they'll be new since I haven't worn any of those things in decades! Also I think I have a couple of onion sacks. And can always use old bras. Also have a couple of small hanging baskets that can be used.
I always grow cukes on a trellis, never affected the number I was picking almost daily to keep up. Oh, now, using a bra to hold the growing melons...we do require photos of that!!!
While the setups depicted here are probably unattainable for most gardeners, the techniques do shed light on some methodologies that can be used or modified. With a little bit of ingenuity some of these examples are quite attainable and may inspire new ideas as well as solve space or other limitations that may inhibit a gardener. WDW Cucumbrs 2008 ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) WDW Cucumbers2 2008 ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) Jerry
