How to Grow Watermelons, Squash and Zucchini Vertically Using Arches

Vining plants, such as watermelons, squash, and zucchini, take up a lot of space on the ground. Leaving them on the ground also increases the risk of diseases and pests deciding that your veggies and fruit make a delicious meal. The solution is using arches and training your vegetables and fruit to grow upwards. Learning how to grow watermelons, squash, and zucchini vertically using arches is actually quite easy!

Arches are one of the most attractive and efficient ways to train vining vegetables. Vertical growing makes better use of whatever space you have. Even if you have tons of gardening space, sprawling vegetables take up a lot of space. So, training them to grow vertically frees up your soil space for other crops.

Did I mention how nice arches look in your garden? If you purchase or make arches that are taller than you, you can place them between your garden beds and make a beautiful focal point. It’ll also be a shady area for you once the plants are in full bloom.

Benefits of Growing Vegetable Plants Vertically

Many gardeners use a trellis to support peas and beans, but most don’t realize that you can do the same with heavier vines. Cucumber, squash, watermelons, and even some pumpkins can be grown vertically use arches and trellis.

A few reasons you might want to grow these plants vertically include:

Vertical growth saves space. When you grow vertically, the entire plant wraps around the arches and poles. The fruit dangles around the plant. The only soil space you take up is where you planted the seeds!
It’s healthier for the plants. Vining plants that lay on the ground are more prone to diseases, rot, and pests. They become an open invitation for pests looking for a yummy meal. The plants and fruits might sit in standing water, rotting. None of that is awesome for the plant or your harvest!
Harvesting is much easier. I know I tend to miss cucumbers so easily when they’re left to vine on the ground. I don’t lift up a few leaves and then I missed several fruits! It can be disappointing. When you grow vertically, the fruit will hang down from the vine, making it much easier to find.

Picking the Right Support for Growing Vertically

Before you pick or design your arches, there are a few things to consider. You want to design your arches correctly for success, right! Here are some things to consider.

Maximum Height the Vines Will Grow

Each crop varies when it comes to maximum height. In fact, it also varies based on the specific variety of seed you pick. Some vines are short and only a few feet tall, such as peas! Some are super long, like pumpkins, that can be dozens of feet tall. The height can greatly vary.

You want to make sure you have plenty of space for your plants to grow. If you purchase an arch that’s too small, the places could loop around or stop growing. You don’t want them to stop growing until the maximum height is reached!

The Strength of the Vines Once Full of Produce

When the vines are full of produce, they can be heavy! Imagine how much several zucchinis, fully ripened, would weigh! Make sure the support you select is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the fruit. Peas and beans don’t require much support, but squash and pumpkins need a lot of support!

Ease of Harvesting

Make sure it won’t be harder to harvest your produce. If it’s difficult to reach the center, it might not be a good choice. Also, support that keeps the vines together tightly make harvesting harder as well.

Unless you’re tall, like I am, tall arches could make harvesting hard as well! If you prefer a tall arch, you might have to get the ladder out to harvest.

How to Make Arches for Your Plants

You can purchase arches at most garden supply stores, but they can cost a pretty penny. If it’s in your budget, I suggest you purchase them because it makes life just a bit easier.

If you don’t have the cash to spare, that’s okay too! There are always DIY methods for gardening. You can make arches for your vegetable plants.

Here are some ideas to get you started!

Natural materials, like hazel, are flexible and can tie together to form a rustic arch. Bamboo canes are another option, and they’re stronger than hazel. You can combine the bamboo canes together using plastic PVC piping.
Look for used garden arches. Check out local for sale groups. People might be selling their old garden arches for dirt cheap. You want to make sure they are rust-proof powder-coated steel.
PVC piping can be placed over the top of metal fencing to increase the strength if you’re growing squash. To make the PVC not stand out so much, just spray paint it black like metal or dark green!
Try adding galvanized wire mesh to your arches for extra support. You will need to cut the wire with wire cutters to fit on your arch appropriately and attach it with cable ties or heavy-duty garden wire. I prefer cable ties because they’re super cheap and useful for nearly everything. Make sure you attach the wire mesh along the entire arch and use several cable ties to keep it in place!
Make a teepee-style arch. My kids particularly enjoy when I create teepees for them with vines and large sticks. You can lean four strong poles of wood together to form a teepee. Make sure you put them in the ground for support. Then, secure at the top with twine! At this point, you can attach horizontal slats, string, or wire at different intervals. This adds more support and places for the vines and tendrils to grip as the plant grows.

You can find plenty of ideas online, such as on Pinterest, for different arches you can purchase. Some are elaborate and others are simple. Just make sure they’re the correct height and have enough support for the plants you’re growing.

Training Plants to Grow Vertically Using Arches

Training your plants to grow vertically is easy!

Start by planting your squash or watermelon seeds the same distance apart as they would if growing at ground level. You can also use started seedlings if you prefer. As they start to grow, you’ll want to gently weave the shoots onto and into the trellis or whatever support system you created.

Try tying the plants loosely to the support system with flexible plant ties or wire twist ties. Make sure that you don’t tie them too tightly because this could cut into the stem as the vine starts to grow thicker.

As the plant starts to grow and mature, watch your plant to ensure it stays on the support. The vines should wind around the arches. If it doesn’t, you can gently wrap the vines around the support system yourself. Just be cautious not to be too rough and break them!

Little tendrils grow off the main vine and will grip the support system, pulling the plant even higher skyward.

Keep in mind that all squashes, including zucchinis, and watermelons are heavy feeders. They need to be kept well fed and watered. This fact is even more important when you’re training them to grow upwards. Plants that trail along the ground can root at different intervals to suck up more water. Vertical vines cannot do that, so keep them well watered!

Supporting Heavy Fruits

Depending on what you grow, some fruits may need support. Summer squashes and small winter squashes, like acorn squash, typically don’t require any extra support. Large squashes, like butternut, will need some help!

If you don’t provide some support, these heavy fruits add too much stress onto the stems. All of the stress and weight can cause the vines to come down and break.

What’s the solution? You have to make a sling for each fruit – yes each one! I promise it’s not as hard as it sounds.

The best solution I’ve found is to use old pantyhose (new works too since they cost less than $2 for a cheap pair). Tie the pantyhose to the screen, wire, or whatever support system you use. Then, gently put the fruit into a leg of the pantyhose. Always leave a bit of slack so that the fruit has room to grow.

Using Arches to Grow Vertically

Whether you lack space or simply want to keep your fruits and vegetables off of the ground, using arches to grow vertically is a smart idea! It makes the plants less vulnerable to diseases and pests, plus harvesting is a lot easier. Arches free up valuable space in your garden beds.

Be creative and design unique arches for your garden! Remember that you need to create a support system that has the right height, support, and ease of harvesting!

Have you any tips or expertise on how to grow watermelons, squash, and zucchini vertically using arches? If so, let us know about your ideas and results in the comments!