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How do you cram an abundant, sprawling garden into only 500 square feet? For Kyle and Morgan Hagerty, the couple behind the urban farmstead East Sac Farms in Sacramento, California, the solution was to growup-and they created this squash trellis to do just that.
“Take advantage of your vertical space, because the sky is literally the limit when it comes to growing upward,” says Kyle. “If I grow cucumbers on a trellis as opposed to growing them along the ground, I’m going to be able to grow four times as many in that space.”
“It provides better airflow and great access for pollinators,” says Morgan. Kyle adds, “It also reduces the chances of fungus or disease and helps with consistent ripening. It brings the crops up to your height, so it’s easier to harvest and prune. There are almost endless advantages to trellising.” And when the summer ends, the couple turns the trellis into a hoop house to extend the growing season and start seeds in the spring.
All it takes are some easy-to-find farm materials and about an hour to set up.Voilà, produce paradise.
Must Read:How to Grow Fruits & Vegetables from Food Scraps
How to Build a Vegetable Trellis
Materials:
• Four 5-foot or 6-foot T-posts (available at livestock supply stores; use 5-foot posts for harder soil; 6-foot posts for softer soil or raised beds.)
• Baling wire
- Position the fencing vertically on the inside of two posts, bend it over to rest inside the two opposite posts, and bring it down to the ground to make an upside-down U shape. (At this point the posts will be holding the panel in an arched position like a coiled spring.) Use the wire to join the panel to the T-posts at the top, center and bottom of each post.
Now that you have all that bountiful squash, watch: How to Cook Butternut Squash 4 Ways
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