Utilizing an present fence to grow vining vegetables eliminates the work of building a trellis from scratch, saving money and space. The fencing you plan to utilize for trellising ought to be sturdy enough to hold up under a few pounds of vegetables, then matched to the way the garden vegetable rises, and not made of pressure-treated timber, which might contaminate vegetables with toxins.
Proper Spacing
When using a fence for a trellis, proper plant spacing is important. To ensure the vines can reach the fence when the seeds sprout, plant seeds and seedlings 1 to 2 inches from the base of the fence. Avoid planting too close to fence posts, which may hinder root development. Instead, plant along fence panels and distance seeds and seedlings at the same recommended distance for plants grown with no trellis. If you will need to attach netting, nails or wires into the fence, then do so before you plant the seeds.
Tendrilled Climbers
Vegetables which climb with tendrils, including peas (Pisum sativum), cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) and summer squashes (Cucurbita pepo), need thin fabric to climb on because the tendrils are just approximately 1 inch long. A fence made of mesh, 1/4 inch in diameter or smaller, works well for supporting tendrils, as do nails hammered in the planks of wooden privacy fence. Train trendilled vines on a fence by wrap new tendrils around the nails or fencing. When fruits begin to form, pull them out from the fence gaps and let them hang down so that they don’t grow in the opening and also become wedged or misshapen. Some fruits, including cucumbers, need to grow straight down to grow straight. If you are using wooden-paneled privacy fence, then it must run east to west, then not be made of pressured-treated timber, and you ought to plant the vines on the sunny side of this fence. Nails must be parallel to the ground because tendrils have a hard time grasping nails at an upwards angle.
Twining Climbers
Several vining vegetables, such as pole beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), grow by wrap their stems around a service rather than grasping it with a tendril. These kinds could be woven through any open style of fence, such as nylon netting or chicken wire, or wound around post and rail fencing. Train the vines on the cotton mesh or chicken wire by pushing the ends through the holes. For vines over the fence is tall, train them vertically and horizontally. For post and rail fences, plant one to two vines per post, 3 to 4 inches from the base of every post, and train them to end up the post and also across rails.
Support Heavy Fruit
A vine laden with vegetables can become heavy, so just use durable fencing substances that may support the weight. Vines that make large fruit, such as melons (Cucumis melo) and squashes, can be grown on fencing so long as you choose varieties with vegetables which weigh 3 pounds or less each. Make sure the fruits don’t fall off the vine by supporting them using slings. Make slings by cutting bits of textile, or combined with holes 1 inch square, wide enough for the fruit to sit and long enough to encircle the fruit and also to be attached to your fence. Allow enough fabric to hold the fruit when it reaches its adult size. Large pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima) are too heavy for a little fence, but small, pie varieties are satisfied to trellising.