Trellising Summer squash?

Can anyone tell me if they have succesfully trellised the BUSH type Squash??? ...Most of my squash (and zucchini) seeds seem to be bush, and I had set up some metal trellises about 3' high to keep them off the ground ~~ since it is unusually wet and muddy right now...thank you!

i saw some in a pot that were trellised seemed to do pretty good. ours are not, they are just spralling on the ground and doing fine with all the water. we do have it mulched under them to keep them out of the clay soil

Thanks farmgirl! I have my winter squash mulched with hay, and they are loving it. I hope that the bush squash will take to the trellises (haven't decided what kind), until I can get some more hay. Does anyone have suggestions on what type of trellis to use (metal, wood, plastic, small or big holes), and how wide per plant, as well as how tall and at what angle? I love hearing others' experience, and then I will experiment and let you know what worked for me...

the one i saw was being held up by a tomato cage. mine would have out grown that already. they are huge. please do tell us how it works out for you.

A tomato cage is a good idea, or maybe even a round of wire reinforcement. However, the bush squash I planted by a trellis last year didn't even germinate. I will be trying again this year. Only using a winter squash like maybe Butternut? Yummm....

Keep looking, in here somewhere someone has referenced a vining Zucchini.

Drew

TamaraFaye, I am planning to grow Trombocino Squash. Some one shared some seed with me. See this description.
Gary/Louisville
Squash - Italian - Summer- Climbing Trombocino
Click here to return to seed list.
http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/packpg/veg/squash-trombocino-p.htm

Thanks Gary! I have a couple of those seeds as well. Those should be fun to grow!

TF

good thread, keep it going...

So far, the only thing that is working with a trellis is the cucumbers. The yellow squash is just sitting there looking at the trellis and laughing at me.

I made my lattis/trellis out of twine. I have it above the cucumbers and the summer squash boxes.
The other ones are twine tied to the mater containers.

Better picture of Lattis/Trellis

These are boxes I made and put them on stair steps. I got the lumber from the local lumber company and cut out the steps. Then put the boxes on the steps.

I saved the peices that made the steps and used them like "shelving" on the shed wall.

Here are the peices of steps that got cut out of the boards and then attached to the back of the shed with boxes of lettuce planted.

wow, that is reaally cool Darrel, I will have to look at that more closely later!

Ok, I'm hiring Darrell to do my place like this. Awesome!

Oh wow. Thank you. I'm glad somebody out there appreciates the work that went into this. Nobody but me see's it. lol Thanks. :)

It's fabulous. I'm immensely jealous. The time...the planning....the work.... You're very clever.

Is there a book on vertical landscaping or something? That is what your work reminds me of, thought maybe you could recommend a book?

How is your watering set up?

I never thought of the way I have this set up as "Vertical" gardening, but I guess you're right. It "does" look like that, doesn't it. ;)

Noooo.....I got all these ideas from right here in DG.

It started with CountryGradens/Bernie. I watched him as he started his greenhouse and paid attention to some of the things he was doing.

Then came cricketstomatoes. I watched her as she started her 1st greenhouse and began tieing up her tomatoes in the greenhouse. Although she used "Gro-Bags", I used 3 gallon buckets and 3 gallon ice cream containers. Buckets came from the Dollar Store. Empty Ice Cream containers came from the Ice Cream Shope.

I wanted netting and I wasn't sure I could afford it or not. The reason I say that is because, here there was no garden. It was all woods. I traded an old car I had as payment to this guy, Jeff, to cut down tree's and then cut them up for the wood burner. (heat this winter) Next I needed "Fill Dirt" and I needed a Bulldozer to level the Fill.

After the garden area was completed, well, almost, lol, I needed boxes. During the rain I made boxes and carried them outside from my kitchen table. Opps....I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the netting.

I decided I really couldn't afford netting. I needed a lot of netting and I thought about it and decided to make my own using "Binder/Bale Twin". I sort of new how to make a fishing net, and that was how I made the netting.

The "Bleacher Boxes" idea came from, "Hydroponics". I was looking for containers at one point during all this and ran across a site that had Straberry's growing Hydroponically. The way it was set up, on a metal frame with individual pots intrigued me. I studied the photo and it came to me....."rather than have pots, I'll make long boxes and set them on forms."

The Hydroponic Strawberry plants were "tiered" like steps. Water and nutriants started at the top and flowed down each layer of pots, feeding them as it went. I thought I could do the same thing, only instead of using a medium to hold the plants in place and using water and nutriants like they do for hydroponics, I'll use my soil mixture and grow them organically.

I made a template to cut the stairway runners. The template was the piece that would be cut out of the stair, or "notch" out. It was a perfect shape to make supports for shelves and so I made more boxes and put them on the braces on the back of the shed.

As for watering.....I have a soft spray at the end of the hose and I walk it down the isle. I'd like a drip hose, but that will have to wait till next year.

Darrellr....... My hat is off to you!!! What a great job you did...and SO neat!!!
It represents a LOT of planning & work!! I sincerely wish you the BEST of luck with your unique set-up!!
LD

Thanks Cottonpicker, I appreciate the compliment.

I forgot to mention something.

Those "Bleacher" boxes are moveable. Something I knew I wanted to grow but didn't want to break my back bending over to pick was, Beans. I have about 800 beans planted in those boxes. I'm too old to bend over for any length of time, so the beans went in those boxes.

You can see in the photo, a saw horse. There is another one beside it, (out of site in the photo). Those long boxes lift from the stairway brace and go over on the saw horses, making them waste high. It will make picking the beans easier.

TamaraFaye....I don't see any reason why the summer squash won't go up a trellis or a net. I'm going to treat mine the same way as the cucumbers. I'll guide them up and tie them to the netting untill they catch hold of the net. If I see a problem, like it's slipping or not holding in place, I'll put a few more straps around the stems and guide it some more. For "straps", I'll be using an old bed sheet torn into strips. They won't cut into the vine and they will give good support to the plant.

I hope this has helped you TamaraFaye.
Darrell

Wow Darrell, what a fabulous set-up. I can't believe you have 800 beans! That's a lot of beans. What will you do with them all? I hope you do a lot of canning or freezing! You've given me some great ideas for my garden set-up! You have everything so organized and tidy, and you're very resourceful. What is the depth of the lettuce boxes on the shed wall? It's hard to tell - they look like maybe 6 inches deep?

Nice to see that you live in New Brunswick - I grew up in Halifax and my parents still live there even though I now live in Iowa. Often drove through NB on the way to Quebec or Ontario for holidays. Sometimes I really miss Canada.

Wow, Darrell~

You are so neat and efficient. You could be one of those folks who could live off the land! The only thing I can think of is have you considered using old stockings (panty hose) to tie instead, they are more flexible than sheets!

I wish I could build like that! Thanks for sharing your creations with us!!!

Tamara

CMoxon,

Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it.

Close to 800 beans. lol I'm going to sell them at my fresh vegetable market. (will be my first one)

The boxes the beans and lettuce are planted in are 4 1/2 inches deep, 6 inches wide and 8 feet long.

TamaraFaye. LOL If you saw the inside of my house you'ld change your tune about me being so neat. ;)

Yes, I thought about nylon hose, but I would have to buy them in order to use them. I have old sheets in the drawers that I never use, and so I figured I'd use them. I think the nylon hose would be better, but I don't want to spend anymore money right now.

Thanks again everybody for the compliments. I'll post other pictures as time goes by.

Darrell

Darrell..... We look forward to your regular reports!!! Don't forget us!!!
LD

Darrell: you've done some amazing things! Wanna come down to my place sometime and help me get organized? (Just joking! NO ONE can help me get organized. LOL!)

CMoxon: next time you come up to visit your parents, we should get together for a chat (you too, Darrell, if you get down this way!) I'm just here in Timberlea. Where in Halifax are you from? My husband is a North Ender, from the Hydrostone area. I'm originally from the South Shore, around LaHave (Crescent Beach.)

It's so nice to see another Haligonian around here! : )
Rhonda

well, the sheets are surely the most economical since they are handy. last year I told people at church I needed hose, and one lady brought me an entire bag full of brand new ones that were outdated (well, out of style). I don't know where she got them, but I have yet to use them all. Usually I just look for them at garage sales or in the discount bin... if I run out, I will use old sheets, since I have plenty of those!

no judging here about your house, I have decided a clean house doesn't put food on the table, so I just try to keep the table clean, and spend the rest of my time working, mostly outside...