as a gardener with a small backyard, i believe in trellises. instead of sprawling cantaloupe & watermelon vines throughout the yard, my melons grow up a homemade trellis made from bamboo & thick twine.
at first i was hesitant, though. i thought that maybe the melons would grow to be too heavy for the trellis, hanging in mid air & snapping from the vine before fully ripening. this has not been the case for this year's melons.
they are growing healthfully & happily. using what i had, (in this case a thin, stained kitchen towel did the trick) i tied the watermelon to the trellis. this allows for more support for the vine & trellis. i have also used plastic produce bags & have heard of others using old panty hoses.
whatever you might choose to use, i think you will really enjoying this space-saving trick. i am convinced that this will be my only way of growing melons in my little backyard, and perhaps pumpkins, too.
just look at your gorgeous garden! I love the melon in a sling - too funny. I'm sure the little guy appreciates the support.
ReplyDeleteThis is the way we're doing it too! I'm hoping it helps prevent powdery mildew and I think the look it creates is just beautiful. Plus the kids have so much fun hunting for all the melons and pumpkins growing all over the fence and trellis (and so do I).
ReplyDeleteHi by the way, just found you through Soule Mama, I think, and loving your site :)
Hmmm, now you have me thinking, must look into this. I find it hard to grow pumpkins with their sprawling nature taking over the lawn :)
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