Home » Misc » Grow pumpkins vertically

Grow pumpkins vertically


How to Grow Pumpkins Vertically on a Trellis

It’s cute, really, for me to look back on the little bamboo hoops I erected for my pumpkin plants earlier this summer.

I’d never grown the Cucurbits before, and I figured the vines would curl neatly around the tiny bamboo hoops and produce precious, delicate gourds.

If you have ever grown pumpkins, you know how wrong this is.

At first, the attractive hoops did the job just fine. The young vines grew slowly. I fastened them to the hoops with gardening ties and smiled at their gentle beauty.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

And then I left for the weekend sometime in midsummer. When I returned, my ‘Howden’ vine had turned into a thriving monstrosity.

It had essentially railed against the tiny bamboo hoop and demanded a better trellis. I responded by giving it some space on the tomato fence and apologizing for my rookie mistake.

If you want to train your pumpkins on a trellis but don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s what I’ll go over in this article:

What You’ll Learn

Why Should I Grow Pumpkins Vertically?

Somewhere in all my research about growing these members of the Cucurbitaceae family, I glossed over the well-documented fact that your average pumpkin vine can grow to anywhere from 10 to 20 feet in length.

Thankfully the tomatoes and pumpkins (and peas) get along swimmingly! Photo by Laura Melchor.

Because of that, I ended up having to force my tomatoes to share a plastic trellis with my ‘Howden’ vines, because you can’t even see the little bamboo hoop that I initially installed anymore. The vines and leaves have consumed it entirely.

Even though my plant is being supported by a tomato trellis, the gourds are growing wonderfully.

Perhaps too wonderfully! One of my ‘Howden’ fruits is larger than my head.

It may just break the plastic trellis when it gets even larger –  if I were to leave it without additional support, that is, which we’ll talk more about in a moment.

Photo by Laura Melchor.

But at least it’s not resting on the soil, potentially getting soggy and bug-infested.

Let me tell you the story of how I fell in love with vertical gardening for vining plants.

I planted peas this year that supposedly didn’t need any support in order to grow. They grew long and lovely in my raised bed, producing white blooms from which spilled fat green pods.

And then the vines grew so long that some of the pods and leaves dragged in the dirt. Not the gardening soil in the raised bed, but the regular old earth below it.

Guess who found them down there?

Slugs. The squishy beasts gnawed holes in the leaves and even in some of the pods. When I cracked one infested pod open, the peas were all slimy and rotted away.

Every single pea vine that found a way to climb onto the adjacent tomato vines, on the other hand, stayed slug- and disease-free.

If you look at the bottom of the raised bed, you’ll notice the peas reaching downward toward the earth. Before long, they were practically lying down on the often wet earth, just begging the slugs to eat them. Photo by Laura Melchor.

That’s the huge draw of growing gourds on a trellis as well: the vines, leaves, and fruits all benefit from better airflow and fewer visits from pests, and therefore less disease and rot.

Another benefit? If you have a small gardening area, you can actually grow pumpkins without worrying about the plant taking over the entire space.

What Type of Trellis Should I Choose?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of successfully training your pumpkin to grow on a trellis, let’s figure out which type will work best for you.

DIY Trellis

If you’re handy with wood and want to fashion your own trellis, go for it!

One simple idea is to drive two U-posts into your garden five feet apart and 12 inches deep.

Steel T Post, available at Home Depot

Try these 7-foot-tall posts from the Home Depot.

Then get this five-foot-wide, 30-foot-tall nylon netting from Home Depot and use heavy-duty scissors to cut it down to five feet wide by six feet tall.

Fasten the netting to the posts with these zip ties.

If you have a classic, ground-level garden, erect this structure wherever you plan to grow your gourds.

For raised bed gardeners, you’ll want to put it in the ground behind the raised bed box so that you can grow pumpkins in the bed and train them onto the adjacent trellis.

Or, grow your gourds in containers and put the trellis anywhere you want!

This type of structure works best for small and medium-sized pumpkins and other types of gourds.

Pea Fence

For a structure that’s nice and tall – eight feet, to be exact – try a pea fence, like this one from the Home Depot.

Pea Support Fence

This foldable panel trellis works well for smaller pumpkin varieties, but you can also use it for medium gourds, like ‘Triple Treat’ and ‘Jarrahdale.’ Read more about our favorite pumpkin cultivars for cooking.

Tomato Cage

I learned from training my cantaloupe vine that a tomato cage makes an excellent trellis. You’ve got to find a tall one, though.

54-inch Tomato Cage

This 54-inch cage from the Home Depot would work well for smaller varieties.

Think ‘Jack be Little,’ ‘Small Sugar,’ and ‘Orange Smoothie.’ Read more about our favorite pumpkin cultivars for decorating.

Trellised Arbor

For an enchanting arch of strong, vibrant vines, try this delightful arbor from the Home Depot.

Sunjoy Wood Arbor

Soaring to a height of 82 inches (nearly seven feet!) and measuring 23 inches wide, this is my dream pumpkin-growing structure.

It features a growing box on each side, making it easy for you to plant a gourd and train the vines to grow through the latticework on the sides of the arbor.

It would look utterly fantastic as the entrance to any garden or yard. Plus, this arch can support your heavier gourds: ‘Howden,’ ‘Musquee de Provence,’ and ‘Jack-O-Lantern,’ to name a few.

To check out the best pumpkin varieties for pie, read more.

Training Young Plants to the Structure

While our full guide to growing pumpkins covers the details of sowing and growing the large Cucurbits, I’ll briefly address how to plant them with the intention of growing them vertically here. You can grow pumpkins in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9.

If you live in Zone 7 and up, go ahead and direct sow your seeds in one-inch holes right next to your trellis, and then cover lightly with soil. The ideal time to do this is after the last average frost date, when there’s no threat of more freezing weather in the forecast.

Keep seeds moist until germination, which should occur within five to 10 days.

As soon as the true leaves emerge and little vines get tall enough to reach your structure, they’re ready for training.

If you live in Zones 3-6, you’ll probably need to sow seeds indoors in biodegradable peat pots. When they’ve got two to three true leaves, transplant them outdoors by making a hole in the earth that’s about the size of your pot and placing it inside.

Just make sure to plant the peat pot next to the trellis, and keep it nice and moist.

The same rule goes for those of you who buy young plants from a nursery: dig a hole as deep and wide as the pot, remove the plant, and put it in the hole. Backfill with soil and water thoroughly.

When you have young, slightly floppy little vines, it’s time to act.

Vigoro Soft Garden Twine

Get out your gardening ties or twine, like this product from the Home Depot, and loosely tie the main vine to your trellis.

If it’s still floppy, add another piece of twine further along the vine. Just make sure you don’t tie it too tight. You want the vine to have plenty of room to breathe and grow.

For those lucky souls growing vines on a lattice, simply begin weaving the young vine through. You probably won’t need any twine at all! The design of a lattice naturally holds the vine in place.

The same applies if you’re training the vine on nylon netting, which acts like a lattice. But if you’re in doubt, or if your vine seems unstable or keeps falling out of place, go ahead and use some twine to secure it.

Now, the next step is important: you must check on the vine every day. Not only will this help you monitor for pests and disease, it’ll also show you where you need to keep training the vine. Add twine where you need to and keep it growing vertically.

If you don’t, the vine will get long, tangly, and droopy, making it harder for you to retrain it.

By keeping everything tidy, you give the flowers space to grow and the bees will have room to land on them. Or, you can hand pollinate them – see our guide to hand pollinating pumpkins for details on that.

Supporting the Fruit

Wouldn’t it be sad to have spent all that time training the vines on a structure, only to have the fruits break off because the vine can’t support their hanging weight?

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution. To help the vines support your dangling gourds, place them inside a large netted sling like this, available from Amazon.

Net Slings for Pumpkins

Affix the sling to the trellis, and voila! Your vine won’t collapse under the weight of its heavy fruit.

I didn’t have any slings on hand by the time my ‘Howden’ grew to enormous proportions, so I stuck one of those tiny bamboo hoops under it to give the vine some relief.

Use whatever you have on hand, or order those slings! This is what I’ll be doing for next season’s vertical pumpkin-growing efforts.

Delightfully Docile

Now you know that you can tame your sprawling vine by teaching it how to grow upwards, you don’t have to worry about it choking out all the other plants in your garden.

Tell me, have you ever grown a pumpkin vertically? I’d love to know your story. And if you have any questions or comments, ask away!

And check out these pumpkin growing articles next, for more tutorials and useful information:

Photos by Laura Melchor © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photos via Amazon and Home Depot. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock.

View Post

Growing Pumpkins in a Vertical Garden

Keep your pumpkins safe from diseases and pests by growing them vertically

By Cayla Leonard

People plant pumpkins because they are fall favorites with a nearly endless number of uses. They take a while to grow, though, and have a few common problems. So how do you keep your pumpkins safe from pests and disease while they take their sweet time growing? Well, try growing pumpkins vertically on a trellis! If that sounds silly to you, or perhaps intriguing, keep reading!

Contents

The basics of vertical gardening

Vertical gardening is the method of growing plants in a vertical or semi-vertical way, usually in a frame of some sort. You can grow plants as part of a green wall, where the frame of the garden is, as the name suggests, mounted to or embedded in a wall. Plants grow out of the frame sideways.

There are also freestanding trellises. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you can actually make your own with relative ease. You can make a trellis out of a frame with a lattice or grid filling in the middle, and they can be any shape to fit with the aesthetic of your garden — but there are two standard shapes.

There is a standard vertical trellis, which is traditionally a vertical rectangular frame and lattice, often with a rectangular base to keep it standing up. You can mount these to a wall or place them right up against a house or other structure to form an easy green wall. Vertical trellises work well for flowers and small fruits or vegetables.

There are also A-frame trellises. These are, as you might expect, shaped a bit like the letter A. There are two rectangular frames with lattices leaned together and connected at the top to form a triangle. These are very stable and are also useful for flowers and smaller fruits and vegetables; they also offer a little more support for larger fruits and vegetables.

Do pumpkins grow well in vertical gardens?

You bet they do! Pumpkin vines love to climb; in fact, they’ll climb over anything near them if you aren’t careful. This makes them an excellent choice for vertical gardens.

The type of vertical garden you choose, however, should depend on the type of pumpkin you’re growing. Small pumpkin varieties, like Baby Boo or Hooligan, will do OK on any type of trellis. Larger pumpkins, however, may need a little more support. For medium or large pumpkins, pick an A-frame or similar style of trellis. If you plan on growing pumpkins that tend toward 5 pounds or more, they may need even more support. You can create a fabric sling to support them from beneath as they grow to avoid fallen pumpkins.

How do you grow pumpkins vertically?

First, select the type of pumpkin and trellis you want. You can build your own trellis, make use of an existing structure, or buy a premade trellis. Position your trellis where you want it, keeping in mind the amount of sun it gets and the type of soil it’s on. Since the pumpkins will be growing on it, the conditions need to fit with the preferences of the pumpkin variety you have.

Then, plant your pumpkins like you normally would at the base of the trellis. You can plant your pumpkins first and then arrange your trellis how you want to, if you prefer. Just be sure not to put the trellis directly over the seeds! Once the seeds have sprouted and you have vines that are a few inches long, gently weave the vines into the trellis.

You don’t need to wrap them tightly on to it; once they begin growing, they’ll hold on to it on their own. If the vines are too small and are slipping off the trellis, you can gently tie them to the trellis with some garden twine until they begin growing. They’ll continue climbing on their own. The only real difference in care is that they need more frequent watering, as the ground has less cover than it otherwise would.

What are the pros and cons?

Vertical gardening leads to healthier fruits and vegetables as it keeps them away from ground-dwelling pests and decreases the likelihood of diseases. Vertical gardening also adds to the visual interest of your garden. Depending on how you arrange it, vertical gardens conserve space, too.

On the other hand, it can be harder to set up than a regular garden. Building your own trellis isn’t difficult, but it does require some supplies and time. If you opt to buy a premade trellis, that’s another expense to add to the budget. If you’re growing larger fruits or vegetables, the weight may become too heavy for the vine, leading to fruits or vegetables falling off, unripe, and shattering on the ground.

No matter if you’re growing big, prize-winning pumpkins or tiny, adorably decorative pumpkins, now you know the secret (or maybe not so secret) way to grow the healthiest pumpkins. Why stop at pumpkins? You can grow anything that has vines on a trellis! Whether you’re growing beautiful flowers or delicious vegetables, don’t be afraid to employ a trellis.

Editors' Recommendations

Vertical pumpkin cultivation | A great way for those who do not have a place | | MOMMY'S DAYS

Growing pumpkins on trellises

Pumpkin vines grow and take up a lot of space in the garden, so if you have a small yard, why not try growing pumpkins vertically?

Pumpkins can be trained to grow on a trellis and make a great addition to a vertical garden.

In this article, I'll share some useful vertical pumpkin growing tips and tell you which pumpkins are best for a vertical garden. nine0003

Benefits of Gourd Growing Vertically

Gourd vines not only look great when grown on a trellis or archway, but it is also easier to keep plants healthy when grown vertically.

Growing pumpkins above ground improves air circulation around the plants, which reduces fungal diseases, and plants are less likely to be attacked by pests when raised above ground.

Pumpkins grown vertically are also easier to harvest because you have better access to the plants. nine0003

The best pumpkins for vertical cultivation

Before planting pumpkins in your vertical garden, it is important to know that not all pumpkins can be grown vertically.

Large varieties of gourds become very heavy and most upright structures will not be able to support their weight.

It is better to choose portion varieties or varieties of small pumpkins.

Standing Gourd Support Structures

Gourds need strong, strong upright structures to support their weight because the plants become heavy as the pumpkin matures. nine0003

Arches, arbors and trellises are ideal for growing pumpkins vertically and will also look beautiful in the garden.

If you have a wire or mesh fence, you can also train creepers to grow up the fence to make room in the garden.

Pumpkin plants are not resistant to frost, so it is best to wait until the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed up before planting.

Prepare the soil by digging in some rich compost or well-rotted manure. nine0003

Plant pumpkin seeds about 2.5 cm deep at the base of the structure you decide to use.

Leave at least 30 cm between seeds.

You should see the seeds germinate in about a week.

Cucurbits produce long branches called tendrils that wrap around trellises and other vertical structures to help them climb.

When the plants start to grow, you can help them by wrapping the tendrils around the trellis. nine0003

When the pumpkins start to appear, you can make a hammock to support their weight by tying an old piece of clothing to a trellis so the pumpkin can rest on it.

It is recommended to wait until the vines die before harvesting.

Pumpkin storage

After you have harvested the pumpkins, store them in a cool place such as a garage or unheated room.

Lay a piece of cardboard or a thick rug on the floor, then place the pumpkins upside down. nine0003

Storing pumpkins this way means you can enjoy your homemade pumpkins for many months.

Homemade Pumpkin Cooking

I love making pumpkin soup from pumpkins from my garden and this soup keeps well in the freezer for months.

If you have a lot of pumpkin, you can get creative and try making pumpkin muffins, pumpkin tortillas, pumpkin pie… the list is endless!

Have you grown pumpkins in your garden? What are your growing methods? nine0003

The less attention, the better?

“This year, for the first time, I have grown so many pumpkins. Therefore, I want to share my experience with readers. I prepared for the season and bought a bag of nutmeg pumpkin. The network said that this squad is the sweetest, and I just wanted such a dessert. Landing took 4 minutes. I dug the ground near the currant bushes with a shovel, made three holes, put a seed in each, covered it with earth and watered it. I sowed three more seeds in the same way actually on virgin soil - a plot that was not dug, not fertilized, in the shade. A few days later I saw large cotyledon leaves. It was a pleasure to water them - they were the very first vegetable crops in the garden. nine0003

That was the end of my worries about the pumpkin. Firstly, because care began for such capricious eggplant peppers, and secondly, by and large, I didn’t care whether there would be a rich harvest of pumpkins. They got watering in the very drought, when I watered all the beds with cold water from the well directly from the hose.

After a month, two pumpkins reminded me of themselves. Moreover, from different parts of the garden. Large yellow flowers appeared quite far from where I planted my pumpkins. The whips were 4-5 meters long! nine0003

I forgot about them again for a few weeks. And then she began to find already quite large fruits, while the weed tightened the lashes so much that only large leaves and fruits were visible. Several lashes climbed the fence and, wriggling, beautifully hung a couple of orange "bottles" on the fence. But the most amazing thing is that pumpkins that I did not plant grew. Among them were the shapes of the bottle, the shape of the "eight", the ordinary round, but with a green peel, it was like a huge zucchini squash, and also an oblong light green with dark green spots. nineI don't know. But once again I was killed - the pumpkin is the most unpretentious, in spite of all hardships and droughts, a fertile garden crop. She is very loyal to lazy and novice gardeners. And you have to use it!

Vera Surkova, p. Borisovka.

150 kilograms from one "square"!

Gleb Igorevich from Severnaya Ozereevka told us about his experience of growing pumpkins on a tiny piece of land. nine0003

— I have an old vegetable garden and everything is very densely planted. It’s good for those who have space - pumpkins creep for themselves, climb fences and trees. And I have not a piece of free.

Gleb Igorevich invented his own original way of growing pumpkins on just 1 square meter of land.

He approached this thoroughly. In a sunny place, I concreted two two-meter racks at a distance of 2 meters from each other. From above he threw an old iron pipe. (Anything is possible, as long as it can withstand more than 100 kg). Between the racks I put together a formwork from boards half a meter high (one and a half meters by 0.7 \u003d 1.05 sq.m.) Then I stuffed it like an ordinary high bed - branches, any garden rubbish, weeds, sawdust, straw, a little manure and 30 centimeters -40 ordinary land from the garden. I planted 4 pumpkin seedlings very early, so I had to cover for several nights. nine0003

When the whips began to grow, I dug stakes from the north side, stretched thick ropes from each to the crossbar and wrapped it around the plant.

Watered, fed. I left 4-5 ovaries on each lash, and removed the side shoots. So count: 4 plants of 4 pumpkins, each - 8-10 kg. How much? 160 kg in October.

Of course, when the pumpkins began to grow, I put each pumpkin into onion and potato sacks, and attached string bags to the crossbars. By the way, so, in the nets, I have them and will be stored in the barn, suspended. nine0003

Side benefit - the design can easily stand for several decades. It is good to use it to disguise an old fence or barn. If you don't want pumpkins, grow melons or cucumbers.

A respectable lady loves a special approach

Irina Vitrova shared the secrets of growing pumpkins that she inherited from her mother.

— I agree that not being able to grow a pumpkin in the garden is one more effort. But there are several secrets when growing it. Pumpkin loves the sun, but easily grows in the shade, especially in our climate. She loves watering throughout the summer, and in the fall it is better not to water - it will grow, though juicy, but almost tasteless.

Learn more