
On The Up – DIY Vertical Pumpkin Growing
Going vertical is one way to give your squashes and pumpkins extra room to spread their tendrils. We made a little ‘house’ suitable for vertical pumpkin growing.
What You Need For Vertical Pumpkin Growing
Timber cut to the following dimensions:
16 x 110mm x 95mm x 16mm (slats)
4 x 775mm x 90mm x 38mm (uprights)
4 x 530mm x 90mm x 38mm (roof trusses) (We used pallets that we had disassembled.
If you do this, know that not all the sizes are consistent.)
Tools Mitre saw, drill and screwdriver bit, combination square, tape measure, pencil
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step
To Do
- Measure the wood and cut it to size.
- Cut 45° angles on both ends of each roof truss, angled inwards.
- Lay two uprights on your work surface. Equally space four slats on them, the first and the last slats flush with the ends of the uprights, and the ends overhanging the uprights by 100mm. Screw them in place.
- Stand up the upright sections. Place another slat on the ends of the uprights, overhanging the uprights in the same way as the four slats. Screw it in place. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the other upright section.
- Clamp one roof truss to the work surface. Place another roof truss against it, to form a 90° angle. Screw through the second truss into the first, using 100mm tek screws. Repeat this step.
- Place the two pairs of roof trusses on the work surface. Screw a slat onto them, about 50mm up from their bases and overhanging the trusses by 100mm on each end. Equally space another two trusses on the same side of the roof, then repeat on the other side of the roof.
- Place the two upright structures on the floor and screw the roof to them, screwing through the roof trusses into the uprights.
- Position the structure in the garden close to a growing squash or pumpkin. Soon the plant will grow up and over it, saving space and keeping the fruit off the ground.