INFO:

Many of you have asked what I grow on my arch trellis and also beneath it on the inside of the trellis tunnel. I built my first arch trellis tunnel in 2019. Over the years, I’ve experimented with growing different vegetables on the trellis, including tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, melons, squashes, and gourds. My preference is to grow climbing plants up the trellis. The tendrils on these plants make them a natural fit and minimal training is required to get them started up the trellis. Plants without tendrils, such as tomatoes, I find easier to manage by growing them up a string on a different trellis setup I’ve developed. I try to get as much use out of my arch trellis as possible throughout the growing season. I start with planting peas at the base of the trellis in early spring. Several weeks later, I follow with plantings of melons, squashes, or gourds outside of the base of the arch. The peas only climb up the walls and do not get tall enough to cover the top of the arch. This means the area inside the arch gets plenty of sunlight during spring. So I grow leaf greens in this area in the spring. When the peas begin petering out toward the end of spring, I remove them from the trellis. This gives the summer climbers full use of the trellis. It takes just a few weeks before their long vines completely take over the entire trellis. When the arch trellis is fully covered, a much cooler microclimate is created underneath the arch. This area starts to become shaded by early summer. By the time the peak of summer heat arrives, the area is fully shaded. I take advantage of the shade under the trellis by planting heat-intolerant vegetables (lettuces, bok chois, carrots). I time it so that they are at a good size by the time the arch trellis becomes fully covered the shade and the cooler temp helps delay their desire to bolt.