Growing Pumpkins Vertically In A Small Space
Learn how to grow pumpkins vertically in a very small space by turning inexpensive rolled wire fencing into a pumpkin tower trellis.
Equipment
- wire fencing
- wire cutters
- zip ties (optional)
- shovel
Materials
- 10 pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Pick your garden space to grow your pumpkins. It needs to be at least five square feet and in a location that gets greater than 6 hours of sunlight.
- Unroll a section of the wire fencing and cut off a section that can be shaped into a circle that is two feet in diameter.
- Dig a hole in the ground that is at least 12 inches deep and 2.5 feet across.
- Place your wire fencing "pumpkin tower" into the hole.
- Secure the seam using zip ties (optional).
- Fill in the hole, burying the bottom 12 inches of the tower to create a secure base.
- Plant a variety of pumpkin seeds around the base of the tower when the weather is warm and night time temperatures don't fall below 50 degrees.
- Water well.
- Watch for the first sprouts. As the pumpkin vines grow, help train them vertically by attaching them loosely to the wire fencing with plant ties or twine (or weaving them throughout the fencing).
- As the pumpkins grow, you may need to support larger pumpkins with a stretchy fabric like pantyhose.
Notes
Pumpkin towers are best for small to medium sized pumpkins as larger pumpkins can cause the tower to lean.
As the pumpkins grow, they may need some additional support. Pantyhose works well for this.