How To Use A Trellis In Your Square Foot Garden

Making the most of your garden space can be tricky but there are some great tools that can help make use of every inch of your square foot garden so you can produce more food than ever.

Trellises make a great option for growing vertically in your garden so you can grow more in your space and can help you grow more in even the smallest garden.

Using A Trellis In Your Square Foot Garden

The benefits of using a trellis in your garden

Using trellises in your square foot garden is a great way to help make the most of your garden space.

While most plants you would grow on a trellis in your square foot garden have bush varieties or can be grown with the vines trailing on the ground, using a trellis allows you to grow more in your space by leaving room in each square for another type of plant that companion plants well.

A great example of this is to use your trellis to grow green beans in the same square behind tomatoes. These plants work very well as a team and your green beans will help give you a successful tomato harvest.

Plants you can grow on a trellis to fit more in your square foot garden

Choosing the right plants to grow on trellises in your square foot garden is essential to having a successful harvest.

This allows you to put more plants in your garden, and allow for companion plants to make the most use of each square. There are a few plants that grow amazingly well on a trellis in your square foot garden.

Green beans – When it comes to crops that are amazing for growing on trellises in your square foot garden you can not go wrong with green beans.

These nitrogen-fixing plants grow quickly and can greatly aid in the growth of other plants in the garden bed. Your green beans’ broad leaves can help to reflect the sun’s rays back at the plants growing in front of them for even more of a boost to your garden’s production.

Peas – Like green beans, peas are a great addition to your square foot garden as they will grow out to the way on a trellis in the back while allowing you to maximize the space in the square by adding another plant as well. If your family is a fan of peas they are well worth adding to your garden to help make the most of every inch.

Zucchini – Zucchini is great for growing on a trellis. These fruits can grow rather large so you will need to watch them a bit to help support the fruits after they form.

Many people find this is an ideal food for beginning gardeners to grow as they can be heavy producers. If you are looking to get a maximum yield from your square foot garden these are a vital addition to your space.

Cucumbers – Cucumbers are another great option for growing on a trellis. A favorite of canners and gardeners alike, these can be used for eating fresh or preserving for over the winter.

You can grow cucumbers on a trellis in your square foot garden to make the most of your garden space. Avoid growing these next to zucchini though as they tend to cross-pollinate giving a unique and often disappointing result.

What not to grow on a trellis in your square foot garden

Some plants that can be grown on a trellis in your garden are best saved for other areas of your garden outside of your square foot garden beds. This is because they tend to be very heavy feeders or very picky about their growing conditions and are better suited to old-fashioned gardening methods.

Avoid using any plants that need to grow in mounds in your square foot garden bed. This includes potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and melons. This is because these plants are heavy feeders, and difficult to be trained to grow up a trellis, but they also require a lot of ground space preventing you from using the square to grow another crop.

Tips for Using trellises in your square foot garden

Place your trellises along the north side of your square foot garden bed when planting sun-loving plants. This is a great way to help make the most of your garden trellises. They will not block the light from your plants and will instead reflect the shunt facing light back at your plants in your garden bed helping to get them more light and increasing your garden yield.

You can use garden hoops going from one garden bed to the next to act as a trellis as well. This is a great way to trellis two garden beds at once and create a shady space for potted cold weather plants that need to stay cool to extend their gardening season.

Keep your trellises where you can reach them easily. Keep in mind that you will have to reach over and around other plants to harvest from your trellis so when planning them in your square foot garden be mindful of this in your placement. Try the short side of your garden bed or on the ends of your larger side where you can reach the entire trellis.

When succession planting on your trellises starts by planting the plants as far from the outer edge as you can go, allowing you to place the newer plants closer to you where you will not have to reach around them to plant the newer plants. This helps with both planting and harvesting.

Keep your ties loose when you use them to help attach your plants to the trellises. This is important because it is hard to adjust these when you have other plants growing around them.