Growing Watermelon, Cucumber and Melons Vertically / Permaculture

Using up the vertical space in your garden is highly important if the size of the property is limited or if you intend on growing a garden full of fruits, nuts and vegetables. It is also highly beneficial due to the fruit / produce being Off the ground and away from rot or pest attacks.

We also tend to use our gardens a lot more in summer so it can be used to hide an ugly part of a wall or garden fence on a temporary basis.

Click here for previous post on growing Pumpkins and Squashes vertically, there is some very good info. on that post, it is a recommended read!

Cucumber on Trellis: Vertical Growing and Permaculture Methods

Watermelon on Trellis: Vertical Growing and Permaculture Methods

Whilst growing Butternut Squash and pumpkin next to each other on an extended trellis is alright, you need to be careful if you are thinking of joining the latter two with melons, watermelon or cucumbers. This is due to the highly vigorous growth of the pumpkin plant when compared with the others.

Watermelon on Trellis 2: Vertical Growing and Permaculture Methods

Cucumber on Trellis: Vertical Growing and Permaculture Methods

Watermelon at the base of the Trellis: Vertical Growing and Permaculture Methods

 

It’s not too late!! These plants can all still be germinated as seedlings to go into your garden as of now …

Slug Control, Update #3

Hi everyone, I really hope your growing season is going well for you all !

just a quick update that I still have another 3 Slug Trap fill up’s ( top up’s ) to go from my 12 can cheap beer pack I bought for Organic Slug Control / Traps. I have stopped counting the slugs if you remember in post #1 I trapped 20+ Slugs and the number boomed to 60+ in the second round of trapping the following week!

” Slugnatomy ” anatomy of the vegetable loving slug

I literally had to stop counting as I’m sure the number increased a load the following week or two, I can now confirm that the number of slugs or snails trapped are diminishing and that can only be good news! The Cull is almost over (I intended to stagger my slug trap refilling by trapping one week on and one week off To give time for new babies to hatch in between).

It has been dry lately so a new tip I came up with is to shower the area around the traps at night so that incase of dry spells the little buggers will have moist surface to slime across gleefully on the one way trip to the slug pub …

Later on in the year,perhaps closer to Autumn I intend to make a final post with my opinion and observation/s regarding this method and the tactic’s I employed, lets observe over summer if I can notice a difference in the damage caused once everything is planted outside, keep an eye out on this blog in the future …

Growing Grapevines in Cold Climate ( UK )

Hi everyone, I know it’s been a little while since the last post.

A friend recently asked me for advice as he wants to have a couple grapevines firstly for covering a pergola and secondly if possible, for the fruit. As we are in the UK, if fruit is one of the requirements it is best to grow under cover, here is a great video where instead of specially obtaining a greenhouse or polytunnel, the guy just has a transparent roof on his shed and the vine leading into the shed with the branches suspended just below the ceiling / roof.

The other ”Permaculture Positive” of having the transparent roof is no need for electrical lighting during daylight hours!