Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Vertical Gardening
One of my favorite ways to save space and grow more in the backyard garden is to grow vertically.
The traditional method of growing many plants is a space-consuming technique and can limit the
amount, or even types, of crops grown.
By using the vertical gardening space, you'll be able to grow more produce. And you'll be able to
include some of the larger vegetables and melons that you might not think to include in a home
garden. The following is a list of produce that are well suited to grow vertically:
Blackberries
Cantaloupes
Peas
Pole beans
Cucumbers
Gourds
Pumpkins
Raspberries
Grapes
Indeterminate tomatoes
Watermelons
Zucchini
There are so many ways to take advantage of the vertical space in your backyard homestead: trel-
lises, arbors, fences, hanging plants, cages, teepees, and more! The options are hugely varied, but
we'll touch on a few of the most common and easiest to implement.
Trellis.
One of my favorite options for growing vegetables vertically is using a trellis. In our current
garden, we have a permanent trellis structure that we use for a variety of vegetables depending on
the current crop rotation. One year we might plant it with melons and cucumbers, and the next
year we'll train our tomatoes up the trellis.
In a previous garden space, I used a rope trellis support for our tomatoes and tied it at an angle
from the backyard fence. The ropes were a one-season-only solution, of course, and would have
needed retying for the next growing season, but they worked beautifully.
When I'm trellising melons (and squash) in my garden I like to stick with melons that mature at
around 10 pounds or lighter so I don't have to tie the individual fruits with netting of any kind.
Also keep in mind that because of the more perennial nature of fruits like blackberries, raspberries,
and especially grapes, you may need to use a more permanent trellis material such as wire rather
than rope.
