Planting Vertical Gardening

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Anyone here vertical gardening? I need some ideas, I got a few yesterday from a new FB group I joined for raised bed gardening. We have a very small back yard with about 6 - 7 hours of direct sunlight per day. It has three large raised beds, two small 30 x 30 raised beds and a horse water tank already... I want to utilize the rest of the space in an efficient manner.

If you have photos of your vertical beds to share that'd be great!
 

hammerhead

Veteran Member
It's too early in the season for any photos by me, but here's my tip:

The stock "handy-panels" at places like Tractor Supply are built to last and are affordable. It's the best trellis material I've found. You can either tie them into vertical t-posts or zip-tie them together at the top for an inverted V. I get the 8-foot lengths, which are a bit more by price/foot, but more versatile.
 

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
We use 1 1/2 inch pvc and chicken wire. It has lasted for 5+ years so far and we are able to increase production as we can use the pvc frame and chicken wire as a mini greenhouse when the cold snaps hits us.

We basically only get 1 to 2 weeks of freezing weather per year, so it works very well for us.

The cattle panels will also work fine, but we needed smaller holes due to deer snacking on the plants.

I have included pictures of a complete planter with frame, one under construction and one being inspected by the local supervisor.

With this set up and our weather pattern, we can get production year round. We are now entering the sixth year for some of the plants, (all are perennials).
 

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Martinhouse

Deceased
ginnie6, if you grow things on chicken wire, be prepared to have to break things into pieces to pick them. Beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers, from my own experience, all tend to grow through an opening of the wire and actually grow right around the wire itself.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
It's too early in the season for any photos by me, but here's my tip:

The stock "handy-panels" at places like Tractor Supply are built to last and are affordable. It's the best trellis material I've found. You can either tie them into vertical t-posts or zip-tie them together at the top for an inverted V. I get the 8-foot lengths, which are a bit more by price/foot, but more versatile.

I have a bunch of those, I put them at an angle for my squash and cucumber plants!
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
We use 1 1/2 inch pvc and chicken wire. It has lasted for 5+ years so far and we are able to increase production as we can use the pvc frame and chicken wire as a mini greenhouse when the cold snaps hits us.

We basically only get 1 to 2 weeks of freezing weather per year, so it works very well for us.

The cattle panels will also work fine, but we needed smaller holes due to deer snacking on the plants.

I have included pictures of a complete planter with frame, one under construction and one being inspected by the local supervisor.

With this set up and our weather pattern, we can get production year round. We are now entering the sixth year for some of the plants, (all are perennials).

Thank you! I have two small raised beds about the size of yours that I could do this with!!!
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
ginnie6, if you grow things on chicken wire, be prepared to have to break things into pieces to pick them. Beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers, from my own experience, all tend to grow through an opening of the wire and actually grow right around the wire itself.

Yep, it's like they're genetically programmed to do that, lol.
 

WanderLore

Veteran Member
Planted peas around chicken coop. Its regular chain link fence. They did good last year. Didn't have many going into coop, would pull some to give to chickens.
Cukes I have always used old cattle or pig panel and trellis them. Raised beds for most else. My back is really hurting digging up the soil but it's good soil.
I've used old tires before and the dirt in them after the first year is really rich. But I just use them around trees that get planted now.
 

ginnie6

Veteran Member
thanks! I have some panels from old chicken pens that are 2x4 wire. We decided we'll use those instead. Mainly because the pens need to be disposed of and it will be cheap because we already have them, and we won't have to out to buy anything. If that doesn't work then next year we'll look into something else. I'm looking at growing pickling cucumbers, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and delicata squash on them.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
thanks! I have some panels from old chicken pens that are 2x4 wire. We decided we'll use those instead. Mainly because the pens need to be disposed of and it will be cheap because we already have them, and we won't have to out to buy anything. If that doesn't work then next year we'll look into something else. I'm looking at growing pickling cucumbers, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and delicata squash on them.

That should be sturdy enough for what you want to grow.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
I really like there channel. They are in Oklahoma. They have the bucket growing figured out.

I've been following them for awhile now, I'm hoping to try a couple of wicking buckets this summer and I'm really thinking of buying one of those verticle planters! I could have it on my driveway under the maple tree and plant lettuce and other greens in it as well.
 

lonestar09

Veteran Member
Have you looked at gutter gardening? you het 10 ft sections of rain gutters and plant in them. I just got a hold of some to try out shortly to see how they work.from what I understand more for lettuce and small plants.
 

lonestar09

Veteran Member
Forgot another that might be easier than cattle panels is the 50 foot rolls of 2 foot high fencing. Got some several year ago at lowes for $2-3 a roll on clearance. Worked great with beans when I used them as a trellis. Was going to find a way to gutters mounted on some type of support with the fencing being used as a trellis for beans and other veining plants
 

greenhart

Veteran Member
I've been following them for awhile now, I'm hoping to try a couple of wicking buckets this summer and I'm really thinking of buying one of those verticle planters! I could have it on my driveway under the maple tree and plant lettuce and other greens in it as well.
I have 2 self wicking tubs and 6 buckets that I'm trying this year. I have potatoes in the tubs and an assortment of things in the buckets. I'm encouraged by the fact that the smaller buckets with wet foam as a wick I made a few years ago has done so good.
 

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
I have 2 self wicking tubs and 6 buckets that I'm trying this year. I have potatoes in the tubs and an assortment of things in the buckets. I'm encouraged by the fact that the smaller buckets with wet foam as a wick I made a few years ago has done so good.

Got photos of your set up?
 

greenhart

Veteran Member

BenIan

Veteran Member
I can take some pics later but I have the following growing vertically: butternut squash, long beans (3 varieties), red Malabar spinach, cucumbers, purple yam (Ube), white yam, lima beans. As you can tell from my crop selection we have a bit of heat & humidity here.
 

Wildwood

Veteran Member
I've really embraced vertical gardening in that last few years and have converted quite a few crops to it.

I currently have green beans, kajari melons, cucumbers, Ozark peas, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, tomatoes, Cherokee black beans, purple hull peas and got Malabar spinach seeds in today....all growing vertically and mostly on cattle panels in different configurations. The Cherokee black beans are on a teepee frame DH helped me make.
 

marsh

On TB every waking moment
I have trellises for beans and peas. 1592299669686.png

I have 2 heavy duty trellises for water and other melons. They go up about 7 feet, have feet and are steadied by a metal post.1592300071212.png

This year I took 2 4X4 posts I had made into yearn stands that were no longer in use and made wooden trellises out of them for pumpkins. I bought some plastic netting bags to help suspend them - tying them off on the 11/2 X 11/2 cross pieces interspersed with smaller cross pieces. If I don't the rats get into them. (I live a block from the Delta.)

This year, I took a tip from youtube and am using that wire shelving used in closets turned vertical for a cucumber trellis. They are about six feet high.1592300309723.png

This is the grape arbor about two weeks back. (Now they are all bagged in drawstring bags to keep the birds from getting them.) I use standard metal arches and then tie covered wire between them at the apex and down the arch to the vertical part to form an infrastructure for the vine canopy.
grapes.jpg
 
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Vicki

Girls With Guns Member
I have a cattle panel in the greenhouse on diagonal with zuccini and cukes and placed two together in the garden with banana squash and another squash I can't remember which one now as well as pole beans. They are just now starting to climb.

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