Garden trellising

[Wannabefree]

I was wondering if anyone has used pallets to let squash and cukes run up as a trellis? I'm thinking of trying it, but I have always just let my cucumbers and squash run on the ground so am new to the whole trellising aspects of gardening. Good idea? How far apart should I plant them? I was thinking about 6 inches since they'll be growing UP...but I'm not sure. I just know I have to get it figured out the next week or so. I have their area ready, just trying to get it in my head of HOW to do them exactly. Any help or suggestions are appreciated

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I think it's a great idea, but I have absolutely no experience with it. You get to be the explorer and lt us know how it works!

 

[Wannabefree]

Yay me!!

 

[mrscoyote]

According to square foot gardening each cuke gets one square foot. I am using cattle panels attached to T -post for mine to climb up.

 

[Wannabefree]

So I need to go 12 inches apart then, can do! Thanks mrscoyote

 

[Emerald]

I trellis a butt load of veggies and wouldn't do it any other way. I dont' have pallets but I do use 2 by 4 welded wire fencing for small squash/cucumbers/pole beans/tomatoes and even the small french melons(charentis?) I rotate thru my 150 feet worth of 6 foot tall fencing. Each 50 foot worth is in a different spot so I can put a few tomatoes and pole beans on each different lot and keep them pure by isolation from the other types. I'd think with the pallets you may have to put some string on there to help them with a bit of purchase for their footing and twinning but other than that it should work beautifully. I have so much better produce from trellising.. the cucumbers I grow(Muncher a mini heirloom burpless) are straight and don't tend to blight out as soon as those on the ground.
but there is a small down side-it does put the yummies right at deer face level! I had to put bird netting on my trellis veggies last year when the mini spaghetti squash was ripening(one of the only non heirloom or non open pollinated things I grow but we love the small single serve size for us and my mother and mother in law as they can't use a whole big one).

 

[Wannabefree]

I was actually thinking of placing the pallets so that the slats are vertical rather than horizontal. You think I'd still need to use string?

 

[FarmerChick]

you might not want pallets.

only because the harvest gets inbetween those slats. pain in the butt to reach.

we use the big welded panels (goat/sheep/horse panels) 16 ft in length. use 3 T posts and wire them up.

that way everything is accessible easily. and no rot. last forever literally. easy to rip off old vines etc.

 

[Emerald]

you might not want pallets.

only because the harvest gets inbetween those slats. pain in the butt to reach.

we use the big welded panels (goat/sheep/horse panels) 16 ft in length. use 3 T posts and wire them up.

that way everything is accessible easily. and no rot. last forever literally. easy to rip off old vines etc.

I've been thinking about getting a few hog panels myself do you do like I do and buy the big 8foot T posts and wire them up about a foot so to get more height out of the panels like I do my fencing? it is easy to train the plants up that little gap and easy to hoe under. I didn't do it on my first set of fence and I regret it as the composting and layering I do of my soil amendments has buried it about three to four inches and I have to dig it out this year?
My tomatoes and pole beans go up and over the short 7 foot I have now.

 

[Wannabefree]

I'd actually prefer the hog panels, but i am trying to just use what I've got here. For now anyway. Maybe next year I'll have the panels.