How To Grow Summer Squash Vertically
Zucchini and other summer squash are very popular home garden crops, due to their hardiness and large yields. However, traditional methods suggest using several square feet of garden per plant, which can be impractical for people with small gardens. Growing summer squash vertically eliminates this concern. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Rectangular trellis or long gardening stakes (4 feet long at least)
- Garden ties
- Squash seeds
Instructions
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Plan your vertical garden in a place that gets a lot of sun, perhaps along a sunny wall of your house.
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Pound the stakes or rectangular trellis into the ground. If using stakes, hammer them at least a foot into the ground and place them about one foot apart. If using a trellis, push the long side into the dirt about six inches or more.
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Choose seeds for any type of summer squash, unless it is listed as a "bush" variety. Bush-type squash will not grow in the long vine shape suitable for vertical gardening.
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Plant two seeds very close to each stake, or about every foot apart along the trellis (because they'll be growing up instead of out, your summer squash will require much less space than is generally suggested). Plant them at least a week after the last danger of frost, under a few inches of soil. Water well.
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Remove the weaker-looking plant from each pair once both are a few inches tall.
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Use a plant tie to attach the seedling to the trellis or stake. Repeat this process whenever the vine starts to grow away from the stake or trellis, encouraging it to grow higher rather than longer. Be careful to stake only stems, not blooms, which may not mature into squash if damaged.
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Harvest squash when they reach about five to 10 inches long, depending on variety. Vertical gardens can't support the heavy, large squash that might grow on the ground, but these smaller versions are just as healthy and delicious.
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