Choose a support structure strong enough for the vegetables you want to grow. Mature plants loaded down with vegetables can be heavy. For example, tomato plants require very sturdy vertical structures, while peas may climb almost any structure without bearing much weight on it. Place the support system in your garden or on your patio before planting vegetables. This prevents you from damaging plants. Locate vertical supports on the north or east side of the garden where they won’t block the sun from the growing vegetables. Anchor the support system securely. Vertical supports like trellises or wire cages can be staked directly in the ground. Trellises and other flat vertical supports also can be attached to the exterior wall of a home. If you attach a vertical support to a wall, leave space between the wall and the trellis for air circulation as the plant climbs.
Evaluate your garden conditions. Choose vegetables that will thrive in your garden based on its lights, wind, heat and moisture. If you are growing vertical vegetables in containers, be prepared to water the containers daily. Plant the “vine” varieties of plants when applicable. If you are growing beans, cucumbers, squash or beans, be sure to plant the vine variety, which will climb vertically, instead of the bush variety.
Grow pole beans vertically. Pole beans will climb almost any structure, including other plants. The Native Americans often planted beans and corn together because the corn would provide a vertical support for the beans. Grow peas in a vertical garden. Like pole beans, peas will climb almost any structure and need little encouragement to twine around vertical supports. Consider growing peas on trellises, bamboo sticks or even over an arbor. Grow winter squash and gourds vertically. Winter squash and gourds have long vines that can extend up to 10 feet (3. 0 m) for the squash and 25 feet (7. 6 m) for the gourds. Because the vines grow so long and become heavy, you must provide a sturdy, secure vertical support. To provide extra support to heavy winter squash, such as butternut, wrap cloth twine or strips of pantyhose around each fruit and tie to the vertical supporting structure. Do not use string to support the squash because it may cut into the stems. Some garden centers sell materials made specifically for supporting large vegetables, like winter squash and gourds. Grow melons and pumpkins in a vertical garden. Like winter squash, melons and pumpkins have long vines and the fruit needs additional support when growing vertically. Grow melons and pumpkins up strong, secure vertical structures. Wrap slings made of old sheets, rags, towels or fabric scraps around the melons and pumpkins and secure them to the fence or trellis to provide needed support. Grow cucumbers vertically. Cucumbers (the vine variety, not the bush variety) are ideal for a vertical garden because they naturally climb. They can be grown up almost any structure, such as an A-frame, cage or trellis, but it must be strong enough to support the weight of the vines. Initially, cucumbers may need a little encouragement to attach themselves to the vertical structure, but as soon as the tendrils wind around the support, they will climb vertically without assistance. The cucumbers will hang vertically from the plant, making them easy to harvest. Grow tomatoes in a vertical garden. Because tomatoes are heavy plants, they require a sturdy vertical structure. As the tomato plants grow, tie the branches to the structure with a soft twine or cotton cloth at regular intervals.
