What ones do you grow up ward and how is it set up? Also does anyone understand using tires for gardening ?

Hi, @bhart90! I live in a suburban area (translation = small lot), so I grow as much as I can in a small space. I always use a trellis for cucumbers, squash and small melons. I actually grow my cucumbers in a container and let them grow up a trellis along side my swing arbor. You can also grow herbs and container veggies in suitable containers to keep things "off the ground". I also grow potatoes in smart pots, but keep the vines growing upright, rather than sprawling) by using a plastic net fence around the containers. Here are a few examples. Second photo is a mixed container with a dwarf tomato, an container -sized pepper and some herbs ( Sorry for the fuzzy photo) . The first is stacked herb planter.

A nice idea with the herbs! How do you keep cucumber from breaking?

I agree with Linda. Grow your cucumbers and smaller melons up on a trellis set up.

I like to use two of those green coated fence posts you see in the Big Box stores like Home Depot and Lowes. They have channel groves for attaching fencing or netting. So set they up any length that works for you and attach netting. Make sure your netting is sturdy enough and will not break. I use plastic netting that I buy at AM Leonards.

http://www.amleo.com/

Also you can grow any variety of pole beans up a trellis which makes for no bending picking instead of just growing bush beans.

Peas usually need a trellis and are a great early spring sown crop.

Oh and the cucumbers just hang there, they don't break.

Yep, Rita is right. Cucumbers grow lots of tendrils that love to grab onto skinny things. I use a net trellis, and it does perfectly. Most vining plants (like cucumbers) need something fairly slender to grab onto. A 1" wide stake will be way too wide.

I use cattle panels mounted on t-posts, both are available from Tractor Supply. Cukes, squash, pole beans and tomatoes all work with them. Buy them once and you are set for life!


Click on the pic for a closer look.

Excellent set up!!

Interesting setup. Have you or has ANYONE ever tried the 3 sisters setup?

You can grow even larger squash and the like on a trellis -- as long as it's a very sturdy trellis...

Years ago I tried growing 2 of the 3 sisters together -- corn and squash/pumpkins. Trying to harvest the corn was quite a mess... it later occurred to me that the "3 sisters" planting would originally have been with beans intended to be used as dry beans (not snap beans), corn intended for grinding into corn meal or whatever (not sweet corn), and winter squash. That works because everything gets harvested at the end of the growing season.