Growing Zucchini Vertically

[@cjboac9864]

Riley, yes you’re correct! By trellising the zucchini plant does indeed help in pollination; makes it much easier for bees to reach the flowers. Just make sure to remove excessive big leaves from hiding the blossoms. All the other’s reasons you stated are true too! 👍❤️

[@redeemedforever6224]

Love how clean and pleasant to the eyes your garden area is

[@TheChunjun]

Beautiful space you've created. Thanks for the advice on going vertical with zucchini/squash. I'm going to be trying it for the first time this year.

[@dennisfogelstrom7347]

We get squash bugs , they lay eggs on the leaves top and bottom. It's much easier to see them if the plant is up off the ground.

[@Crazy_Garden_Lady]

I had my first garden year and it was a mess with all the mildew and tomato miner fly issues. I saved most of my plants but it was very time consuming. I than took the squash and the zucchini up from the ground with a simple wooden trellis which I made myself for this year. Because my husband is electrician I took the wire as you did. It really is the best to bend the plants up. Watching your video to build something more sturdy and good for years to come. A big thank you from Portugal! 🌻

[@mylaughinghog]

One tip - move or train squash vines in the hottest part of the day. They are less turgid (more flaccid) and less likely to break. Morning is the worst time to try to train the vines as that is when they are quit stiff.

[@zqzqzqz]

Just want to say how much my family and I appreciate your content! We built trellises this year and raised up our zucchini and yellow squash and they are doing just fantastic! Thank you and wishing you many happy harvests!

[@hopeup2792]

How about squash bugs does it take care of that issue?

[@zqzqzqz]

@@hopeup2792 It definitely helped, since it got the squash plants off the ground. In the end, we still got hit with squash bugs last season, but it wasn't until later. Not sure if we'll go vertical again this year. We may just try to be diligent about pruning.

[@hopeup2792]

@@zqzqzqz Thanks for the info. Why would you not do vertical again? Too much work? I had two T post that I wasn’t using and I am going to use them to trellis and see how that goes since they are very sturdy and required little to no work. I will have to figure out how to trim the plant to do so though.

[@zqzqzqz]

@@hopeup2792 It wasn't the extra work so much as I felt like I was going to really harm the main stem when initially training it up the trellis. I was very careful and nothing bad happened, but I felt like one wrong move would spell disaster. I really loved all the benefits of vertical such as the increased airflow and visibility, It just made me very nervous when working with the plants. Your mileage may vary, though. If you are thinking about doing it, I would say go for it!

[@hopeup2792]

@@zqzqzqz Thanks I appreciate your effort to share. I have several I will grow traditional and vertically. I am going to try rutabaga this year. Any tips for all things gardening are always welcome. Happy gardening!

[@joanrechards811]

Excellent job, Mr. Riley Well done 💯❤️👍🏻👌🏻

[@marciemartin9056]

Thank you so much for the video, I have brought my Garden "up in the air" and this helped me ALOT for my Zucchini plant. Saves on room & alot less bugs!!

[@vickycherry3901]

I used my scrap material from making fleece blackets. In my vegetable and flower beds. It is very soft material and doesnt cut or mark my vines.

[@redeemedforever6224]

You remind me a lot of my Grandfather and my husband. Strong, steady, hard-working. Really appreciate your video.

[@redskin6146]

Thanks - I had so many questions about a trellis for butternut squash. Saw several videos but only your video answered my questions.

[@sabri1138]

Watching this from Belgium! Awesome videos and very well explained👌

[@rileysgarden8153]

That's excellent!. Belgium, home to my favorite fictional character!...Hercule Poirot!

[@sabri1138]

@@rileysgarden8153 Hahahaha, that's a good one indeed!

[@melaniejaegli3056]

Glad I came across your video 🙂 I was about to install a metal trellis to try and vertically grow mine. I think I'll try this!

[@jvfndal]

Really great video. Your ideas and instruction have been very beneficial to my garden and my garden knowledge.

[@TexasTopRottweilers]

If i vertically grow it 10 ft up and i have 2 plants on one steak? Have one stem grow to the top and the other planted later and grow to the middle?

[@TearDrop455]

Beautiful garden ❤️ Thanks for your knowledge

[@michelebarnes4059]

I love it,following your lead. The plants look close to papaya trees🙌💓🙌

[@christinad2896]

First video of yours I have seen. Glad it popped up today. I’m going to wait a bit (prob June) to plant my zucchini to bypass the squash bugs 🤞🏼and with your trellis I might have a chance lol

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Try Neem oil mixed with azadiracthin sprayed on the bugs/plant.

[@marvinwolfe9576]

Love the trellis post frame idea, awesome !!!!!

[@andyr0413]

I've used the Vigoro wire. I got the pre-cut ones, which are basically the same as the roll, just pre-cut. (I'm pretty sure the roll comes with a cutter device...) It's essentially just sturdy twist-ties. I get about 2 years (or growing seasons?) out of each tie before it falls apart. (Maybe longer now. I moved from a fan sprinkler to a drip system, so the ties aren't getting watered regularly anymore.)

[@yannip2083]

Excellent video, Riley! Just discovered this channel and just subscribed.

[@iamthewelcher]

Nice work on that garden man!

[@rileysgarden8153]

Thanks!!

[@doraw7766]

I thought my zucchini was abnormal last year as it was growing up the tomato cage. But now I see it can grow much higher for this year to 5-6 feet. I will get extra wood supports in the soil asap and try not to disrupt the roots. I am still transplanting a few more zucchini into 5 gallon containers for this year. I will use your technique for future plantings. Thank you. Florida.

[@rileysgarden8153]

You’re welcome! That sounds awesome.

[@micheleh5269]

Also from Florida, we have horrible powdery mildew. Looking forward to this new technique

[@rileysgarden8153]

@@micheleh5269 if you continue to have trouble with powdery mildew pls look at Dunja Zucchini from Johnny’s seeds. I have had great success with that hybrid as it resists powdery mildew.

[@rissalionelhosteen7530]

I had a patty pan squash grow beside my tomato plant, I used those cheap tomato trellis you buy at wal-mart ( I was still learning at that time) and the tomato didn't grow big as the were in a container, but the Squash trained it self to go upward with the help of the cheap circular tomato trellis. I was amazed at how much space it saved/ I'm planning to do that with my patty pans and zucchinis next year, but maybe using taller tomato trellis'. I think the longest my zucchinis grew was 4 ft.

[@irokekula5739]

i am going to try this this growing season! my patty pans need more room so i will put a cage up when planting outside...thanks for the idea sharing!

[@slydog7131]

Just what I was looking for. My zucchini plants have always taken over so much more space than I would like. I'm definitely going to do this next season. It looks like each plant takes just one pole. This should free up a lot of bed space.

[@danielturner9832]

I think it will help control squash bugs also.

[@Sam-tg4ii]

9:17 yes, and also wind is stronger high up and can help pollinate

[@MichaelJosephJr934]

Nice Palm Tree! LOL. I struggle with this every season. This year I vow to master it as you have done. T.Y.

[@avaliveradio]

I love your trellis and boxes. What kind of wood is that? It’s a beautiful color

[@rileysgarden8153]

Ava, sorry for the late response. The trellis is just soft wood untreated. The raised bed is pressure treated wood rated for ground contact. I stain the outside of the wood with clear transparent waterproofing stain from Behr.

[@deborah820]

Amazing video, I just subbed with the bell on! Love your content!!

[@rileysgarden8153]

Thank you Deborah!

[@denisebayer8748]

Do you wrap the main central stem? It appears to be wrapped for strength as you bring the plant vertical. ??

[@rileysgarden8153]

Hi Denise, No I don’t wrap the stem.

[@carolzhou8478]

Another advantage is that the higher the fruits are off the ground, the less apt they will be to be chewed by rodents.

[@rogerthomson9461]

Or cats

[@y0nd3r]

@@rogerthomson9461 cats are the worst. Invasive little disease spreaders. Them and squirrels are the reason I had to put chicken wire all around my garden. Even on top.

[@qmoonwalker3847]

Great! Thanks for the approach!

[@qmoonwalker3847]

Meant to ask....do you have to support the zuc's as they get large? THanks

[@michaelwatkins3842]

Very nice, thank you for the idea and instructions!

[@TearDrop455]

Great video! Did you remove the bottom leaves ? or does it grow that way, naturally no leaves on bottom?

[@rileysgarden8153]

Hi Diane, The zucchini is trimmed after each set of fruit is harvested. The process is explained in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3zOdnh4as-KfaM

[@ninanmathew4365]

Can you use a tomato string trellis and either wrap the string around the vine as it grows or use circular clips to hold the stem?

[@rileysgarden8153]

I think the weight of the plant would make this a difficult solution, but it may work. If you try it, please let me know how it worked.

[@hopeup2792]

What about squash bugs do you still have that issue with them raised off the ground?

[@juliawingfield9963]

I recently learned about releasing Beneficial Nematodes into the dirt to naturally deal with bad bugs. I'm doing it tonight with high hopes. Look into it, maybe it would be a good idea for you too.

[@krittle637]

Awesome!! How do you keep the SVB at bay? I’m trying to grow squash vertically, and SVB is taking over

[@cynthiafisher9907]

I wonder if it would work to wrap the stem with something like gorilla tape, and maybe do it sticky side out to trap the bugs? Also, I have heard of people injecting bt into the hollow stems to kill the larvae. I don’t deal with this pest myself, but I hope this might help.

[@jasminedavid2756]

Great ideas, thank you

[@jthepickle7]

Learn somethin' new every day!

[@jimjr4432]

Well done, thanks so much.

[@zoejackson1604]

Wow, those are monster squash/zucchini plants! What area area you in?

[@rileysgarden8153]

South Texas - Zone 9B

[@margaretbates6010]

Brilliant video!

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

I use a similar product called Grower's Edge to that Vigoro stuff; ~$7 for 48 ft. GE looks thicker, but it's basically just ~16 gauge wire with a very thick layer of soft green rubber (or something similar) around it and it works great. I clip it with needle nose pliers but an old pair of scissors would work. Using it to trellis everything basically. If it's a plant far away from something I'm trellising to, and I don't want to use a lot of Grower's Edge I just connect it to a length of that cheap garden twist tie stuff.

[@rileysgarden8153]

Fantastic information!!! Thank you for sharing.

[@homesteadingwithapurpose9681]

Thanks for sharing this information.

[@rileysgarden8153]

You're welcome!

[@JohnHenrySheridan]

Thank you Riley !

[@rileysgarden8153]

You're welcome!

[@lauriesmith7517]

There is a new climbing variety with tendrils, "Escalator."

[@sappir26]

How big can the zucchini get before you need to harvest it as it's weight would put pressure on the stem and I'm wondering if they might break off if they get past a certain size.

[@tracycrider7778]

You want to harvest zucchini at or before 8”

[@robertmoschetta1745]

Your beds look stained what did you use to do that

[@melissawilson3229]

At what stage do I start ting the plant? I’m in Midwest plants been in about 2 weeks, seems like there are 3 potential main stalks, do I need to wait to start tying still.

[@rileysgarden8153]

You want to wait until you have harvested your first zucchini/squash and then you can try the leaves below those zucchini/squash after you have harvested them.

[@anapraisler7697]

What about wind damage. The leaves are big and heavy. I think wind would destroy it. Anyone experience this?

[@potaylo]

how high did they grow?

[@natalie4787]

So are you just cutting leaves off to get the stem like that?

[@rileysgarden8153]

I trim off the leaves above the zucchini/squash after they are harvested up to the next set of zucchini/squash that are growing.

[@carykern6079]

Excellent!!

[@remoniabrashear4524]

My blooms are turning brown and falling off on my zucchini butternut squash and spaghetti squash what do I do

[@rileysgarden8153]

Make sure they are being watered and not allowed to completely dry out. Some blooms dying off just means they didn't get pollinated. Don't panic. Keep the ground evenly watered and you will get fruit.

[@caseyspace4286]

I was tying my zucchini to an 8 foot firring strip and it was doing really well ( about 4 feet high) but it grew so fast that the vine growing tip became so heavy it snapped off. I had taped it up just a few days prior. No flowers or fruit below so no possible fruit and I had to pull it out. 😢

[@rileysgarden8153]

What a bummer!!! I hope you got lot's of fruit before that happened? What kind of tape did you use? I've never tried using tape.

[@angelasheppard7197]

New sub

[@Chef669]

Speaker wire. 50 for 250 ft. 2 wires. Making 500 ft

[@MarkRoy-e2b]

If you do this, you better have plenty of space - like you do. A tall plant with huge spreading leaves will shade a lot of ground.

[@usmustdie4peace405]

Very interesting method! Thanks for the vid

[@joniboulware1436]

I have tried this and I do not think it is worth it. If the plants are in a corner of a raised bed they can nust trail over the sides.

[@itmaslanka]

You should have showed up how to tie it up without cutting into the stem .

[@barbjs2000]

Old panty hose?

[@lionolee5480]

I would used zip tide I think it would be much easier just a thought 😊