Do you live in an apartment or do n’t have outer space in the railyard for having a melon garden ? Do n’t desperation because you may still acquire homegrown , tasty melons by growing them vertically and using a trellis - comparable structure to suspend them upon . provide you choose appropriate varieties , growthe works in their prefer conditions , and have a bit of patience , you ’ll be harvest your melons before you know it . We tell you all about trellising melons .
Selecting the Best Variety
The first step ingrowing verticalmelons is take an appropriate miscellany that works well growing on a treillage - similar social structure . Some diverseness of melon fruits , particularly Citrullus vulgaris , can grow quite large and heavy , make them not a good choice for dangling .
When selecting a miscellanea to grow opt a midget cultivar that generally has short vines and smaller fruit that wo n’t topple the social structure holding them or break their bearer .
Watermelon
Cantaloupe (Muskmelon)
Container & Site Selection
Whether you are growing your melons vertically embed in containers or directly in the ground , it ’s crucial to get together the plant ’s need to get them off to a dear start . When the melon vine plant ’s cultural needs are met , you could anticipate vigorous vine producing bloom and fruits .
Container requirements let in :
Garden grunge requirements :

Select a location where the melon plant get Lord’s Day for the majority of the day . Too much shade negatively affects efflorescence and fruiting .
Selecting & Using a Vertical Structure
The most important matter when selecting and using a upright structure is that it is sturdy . There ’s a lot of choice in suited stuff for the melon vine to climb upon and nurseryman can create a permanent structure like an arbor , or even use a temporary structure using train and conducting wire .
unassailable and sturdy is important because even overshadow cultivars of melons have some exercising weight to them . If you have three or four developing fruit putting emphasis on the structure , the last matter you want is for it to collapse . Then you end up with damaged melon on the ground . Therefore , installing a treillage directly in the melon container is n’t propose .
Already Installed Fencing
If you have a privacy fence or even a chain - radio link fence that ’s located in a sunny outer space , you’re able to easily let your melon plants rise upon them . This alleviates the pauperism to create a structure .
If growing the melon plants direct in the background by the fencing , but remove any weeds or dope from an area around 3 foot by 3 foot per plant life , and prepare the soil with organic affair . Once fill in , plant your melon vine seeds and water well .
For those growing in container and utilizing the fence , just place the container next to the fence and flora as usual . To prevent pest and disease problems , fix the container on a weed- and forage - destitute area .
Wooden Lattice
Wooden fretwork control panel are comparatively inexpensive and easy to use in make a warm and uncompromising perpendicular trellis system . you’re able to sequester the corners to a garden paries , or create a freestanding scheme by attaching stout poles to the sides . Be sure the outer poles are recollective enough that you could immerse them several foot into the ground . You require to make certain it ’s hardy and the lattice does n’t strike over with weight .
Arbor or Trellis
If you already have an arbor or sturdy trellis in place , you may simply move the container or plant directly by it for the vine to shinny up . If you are installing one for the melon vine vine , once again , it ’s important you have the bottom dowry buried deep enough in the ground or installed in buckets of concrete so it stays upright .
Helping Vines & Fruit
Whatever eccentric of vertical structure you determine to grow your melon vine vine up , you are going to need to give them assistance , since they are n’t expert climbers . Once the vine get long enough and without undue stress , carefully lead the vine onto the bottom portion of the trellis system .
Since melon ’s are grow apace , expect to check your plants day by day and help engineer the newly developing side shoots to open areas of the treillage .
Supporting the Fruit
Once your melons reach the size of it of a golf clump or tennis ball , it ’s time to support them . For small melon vine , any type of pantyhose works well , but if you are growing melons with a bit of sizing to them , you ’re decease to ask a stronger material . Anything like dense - duty pantyhose , tee shirt , onion plant dismission , or any mesh - case fabric work well .
make a slingback to hold the developing yield and tie the ends directly to the treillage , lift the fruit a chip high than it was originally hanging on the vine , if using pantyhose . As the fruit develops and becomes heavier , it will cause the pantyhose to swag . Once the melon reach the ripe point , but reduce the sling from the trellis andremove the melonto enjoy .