wendy - I don't know if you're still around, but wanted to see if you were able to trellis your pumpkins. I'm gonna become a first time pumpkin grower next year, and of course, will be trellising them. I'm growing some jack be little, and some large ones, as well. I'll be blogging about it, if you wanna check the progress....Thanks!

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: EG's garden blog

EG,

I too want to grow pumpkins.. I will have to grow them in pots and trellis them as well. I'm going to try the Mini Jack... but really want to grow sugar pumpkin so I can make pies.

So I'm curious to know what type of pumpkins you are going to grow and how you are going to trellis them?

Thanks!
Liisa

Liisa - I'm gonna be growing some larger pumpkins from seeds that my friend is gonna send to me. I'm hoping they will be between 35 - 50 lbs. I trellis all kinds of things, and did really well with cantaloupes last year, with the help of some knee highs. I usually construct my trellises so they will hold at least 200 lbs each, with very little deflection from the weight. I'm currently constructing some trellises, and have already posted 2 out of possibly 5 posts concerning the construction of them on my blog. If you have the time, just visit my blog, scroll down a little bit - and on the left side of the page there is a search box. Just enter "Trellises on a hillside", and it will bring up all current posts concerning the construction. I'll post another one this weekend, when i'm able to take some more pictures. BTW, i'm planning on using bird netting to support the pumpkins from the top brace....it'll work like a charm!

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: EG's garden/ composting/ construction blog

Hi EG,

I look forward to following your pumpkin adventure :-)
After I saw the photo of the hanging pumpkin gardens at EPCOT I'm going to try and grow the sugar pumpkins. They only get to be about 5 to 6 pounds and I think I can figure out how to trellis those little babies. I have a very and I mean very small patio/yard so anything I can grow up is a must.

Knee highs... great idea! I also have some bird netting.... their is smoke coming out of the top of my head from all the idea's that are coming to me ;-)

Thanks!
Liisa

Here is a link that might be useful:

That photo of the pumpkins growing overhead was cool! Thanks for the link!

Here's a direct link to an old post on my blog that has pics of several things growing vertical. You can click on each pic to enlarge it.

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: melons hung with knee highs

EG,

Thanks for the link. The bed that you grew the sugar baby watermelons and cucumbers... how far apart were they planted from eachother?... I was thinking of trying to grow the sugar baby but didn't think I would have room... but after seeing your photo... I'm rethinking my bed and it might just be possible after all :-)

Liisa

Liisa - the plants themselves were planted about 1 foot from each other, and did great. All of the trellises in the photos are attached to the same box, which is 25ft long, and 4 foot wide. I use the square foot gardening method, and keep everything really tight. If you don't have much room, you should give it a try! It works great....You can get alot of different ideas from everyone over at the square foot gardening forum.

EG

EC,

One foot... this is good.. I'll be able to grow both... or at least try ;-)

I've been lurking over at the SFG forum for about a month now and getting lots of good info. My one raised bed is a converted flower bed (not raised at the time) that was not doing very well. now it's 9ft long by 3ft wide and 8 inches deep with about another 3 to 4 inches of good soil under it, anything below that is clay. I have another bed.. not raised... it's 6ft by 4ft and good soil down about 12 to 14 inch.. below that again clay... this is another flower bed that is now going to be a veggie bed.

This will be my first season growing tomatoes in the ground and not in containers.. same for the cucumbers.

So far I have come up with the following list... all things we like to eat......
Small bed:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Basil
Carrots
Cilantro

Bigger bed
Corn (I know not a great idea for a small area but DH really wants me to try and grow it)
Cucumbers
Baby Water Melons
Bush Beans
Celery ( already in and over wintering. Seems to be doing well)
Baby Butterhead Lettuce (full size will be about 5 to 6 inches round)
Strawberries
The pumpkins will be in a large container and trellised on the patio as well as potatoes in a deep container.

I will have to take photos once I get the yard all setup. Right now I have a small green house (cold frame) 4x4x5 setup for my banana and another green house (cold frame)6x6x6 setup for my seed starting.. heated pads and lights. That takes up most of the patio space.

Thanks again for all your input.
Liisa

liisa - the cucumbers can be planted 2 per square foot, and they do excellent with this spacing. My trellis for these is 6-1/2 ft. tall, and I got around 150 cucumbers from the plants.
The watermelons are a little different, because each vine needs a width of at least 2 ft of trellis to run on - so, for 4 squares of space, you want to plant only 2 vines (spaced evenly).

The tomatoes do great, spaced just like the melons - against trellises.

I planted my corn 1 per sqft, and they did good also. I don't know how much you need to grow, but most corn plants will produce 1 or 2 ears each.

I'll give you a direct link to my pictures of plant spacings, and planting layout. If I can help you further, just let me know. I have tons of pictures, and will be glad to provide you a link to any of them.

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: My plant spacings from 2008

EG,

Thanks so much for the link. Very helpful! I already made a few adjustments to my plan. Thank goodness for pencils and erasers ;-)

I have two 3x7 trellises (sp?) that should work just fine.
Just need to secure them to the beds.

As far as the corn... I don't need a lot.. From the research I have done... they can be planned in blocks of four between 8 to 12 inches apart.. so I will try a 3x3 sq to = 16 plants (think I got that right... me a math don't go well together) I will plant in intervals of two weeks so they will not all ripen at the same time. I am trying two varieties that can grow together with no cross pollination issues... one will grow 6 to 7ft and the other 4 to 5ft. This will be an experiment for sure.

I'm sure I will have more question... and will have to spend more time looking through your blog.
Thanks so much!
Liisa

You're welcome, Liisa. Feel free to leave a comment on my blog, if you have any questions about anything on there. I really stay on top of the blog thing, but don't visit this particular thread very often....So, if you ask a question on my blog, i'll see it pretty quick.

EG

I am growing mini pumpkins on a trellis this year and my question is how high will they grow? We have a 7 ft trellis and I don't want to grow them on it if they won't go that high. Will they climb 7 ft?

Thanks

First year growing mini pumpkins on a trellis.