LovinMySoldier

has anyone grown cantaloupe on a trellis or chain fence. I have been reading some tutorials this morning about them. they say once the melons get golf ball size you make slings for them out of old pantyhose or bed sheets. It seems very interesting. We are finally above or very close to no more frost nights and I want to get my garden in. I don't have tons of room and I have to barricade my garden off to my dogs as it is. So I thought this might be a fun alternative. I have never grown melons but thought it might be fun. Has anyone done this? Any tips. Thanks :) Happy gardening!

amma

I have grown cucumbers and zuchini very sucessfully this way. I was told that even cantaloupe will grow well, and even the smaller varieties of watermelons. The vines get bigger in diameter and sturdier as the vegs/fruits get heavier. I didn't have problems with the cukes and zuchini getting to heavy for the vines, but we picked the zuchini when they were about 8-10 inches long. Making slings sure couldn't hurt any for the cantaloupe.
Growing these types of veggies upwards really saves on garden space, and the back from stooping to pick them :D:D:D

Edit*** Just be aware that the vines and fruit/vegs have a LOT of weight, so make sure the trellis/fence can take the weight :wink:

LovinMySoldier

cucumbers and zucchini too? Wow! I was planning on doing a few zucchini plants and maybe some cucumbers too. I don't have a chain link fence just the tall privacy fence. So I will either have to buy or make a trellis. Did you use a fence or a trellis? I'm thinking I might need to build a couple trellis' then. The store bought ones seem fairly flimsy. Then again I haven't looked at them in at least 3-4 years. Hmmm. I also read that you can train your pumpkins to climb up your house and the pumpkins can grow on the roof :) I have a two story home so wont work for me but I thought it was funny. Thanks for the tips :)

Maride

I grew melons, cantaloupes and pumpkins a few years back, but I left them on the ground. I made a strong fence around them to keep that bunny away and just sat back and watched. they grew huge. My biggest pumpkin was 75 pounds and the melons about 4 pounds each. The best part was that they were delicious and very juicy. Good luck!

vjengels

We did that the year before last with our Butternut Squash, it worked great, I just cut the feet off the panty hose, placed the squash in it, and tied it to the fence; when it was ripe enough we just cut the squash off the vine and 'unwrapped ' it.
I've seen melons and pumpkins grown that way at the Botanical Gardens. they did make slings , I believe it was plastic mesh, like you'd buy a bag of 'cuties' in..they had them trained up and over an arbor so the melonsgrew up the sides & hung down from the ceiling. It was kind of weird, and beautiful at the same time

sewgull

I have grown cantaloupes and cucumbers this way. I used the mesh onion bags. The cucumbers laid on top of azaless, one vine even climbed my dogwood tree. My dad let cukes run up the clothes line. That was funny seeing a string of cucumbers. Try anything it will may or may not work. Just try and see what happens.

winipb2

In my younger days I grew large amounts of our food, I used the trellis and sling method a lot. But alas , it is now hitting the 90 degree mark and if you didn't have your veggies in the ground already it it tooo hot for them now. Will have to do research to jump start this old brain about hot weather growning along the Gulf Coast.

amma

We had a wood fence, and we tied string from stakes in the ground going up to the top of the boards. We planted them a foot apart, 2 rows deep and staggered the plants. I would plant them like this again, it was fun to see peoples reactions too :D:D:D

Rebecca VLQ

Oh, man! That would be so awesome!!! Now I wanna try it!

littlehud

What an interesting thread. I want to try this. It's time to go buy some plants.