The vertical squash are doing fantastic. they received a little more maintenance and pruning a few days ago. They show no signs of slowing down even with only a month remaining in the season.
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In this video, I show you how to build a gourd tunnel trellis to grow gourds, luffas, and other climbing vegetables.

Link to Hugelkultur vid mentioned: https://youtu.be/3O2qCQU7Cac

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Self Sufficient Me is based on our small 3-acre property/homestead in SE Queensland Australia about 45kms north of Brisbane – the climate is subtropical (similar to Florida). I started Self Sufficient Me in 2011 as a blog website project where I document and write about backyard food growing, self-sufficiency, and urban farming in general. I love sharing my foodie and DIY adventures online so come along with me and let’s get into it! Cheers, Mark 🙂
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Vertical Squash: 5ft Tall and Progressing

| Vertical Gardens | 36 Comments
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36 Comments

  • Joyce Fortin

    How late in the season were you getting fruit? I'm in NH and started a bit late, so right now I have flowers beginning to bloom on Aug. 12th. It will be a while for any fruit to show up.

  • 6996katmom

    This is the first year I used liquid copper. I got the info from the onion man in Texas. It does work so good. Now I need to learn your way to grow squash upwards. Mine grew out of the raised bed and they sprawled on the ground. We have gotten 5 inches of rain every week and our back yard is flooded and stays flooded for over a week. After that rain I am afraid all my squash is bad. Thanks for showing how to grow it upwards.

  • Cathy Anderson

    I grow vertically also, and I add rock dust to the soil. I found the more I amended the soil the less problems I had. I had no insect issues at all for the last 3 years. None. I'm now at compost/manure/rock dust/peat moss or coconut fiber. That's my gardening mix. It's a fantastic way to grow and the insects won't go to healthy plants. Try Azomite if you want a name on rock dust, but it has lots of micronutrients etc for your soil. Thank you for sharing your ideas

  • Sabine Katsavrias

    Thanks for this vid i think im going to use the pvc vertical idea to hold up the side of the arch that will be the side of my house i rent . Save expense and drilling into the walls of the rental.

  • TÒ‰wÒ‰iÒ‰zÒ‰dÒ‰eÒ‰dÒ‰ LÒ‰iÒ‰oÒ‰nÒ‰

    1200 well worth it for all u save on buying these foods! Next year I'll be doing a huge fruit veggie Mellon transformation in a area of the yard that's been neglected! Noticed ever since I started playing around out in the yard I've had a wonderful feeling inside me! Been scouring all around looking at what folks do and from that I've come up with a few sweet set ups, one I have in use and wow my cucumbers not only look amazing they taste amazing! I mean I was going for a visual effect as well as functional and I'm in love with my cucumber set up but can't wait to improve on it! Love your videos mate the Info and passion you have is pawtastic!

  • Jared Mccutcheon

    Very cool project. I think the only thing I might consider doing differently is put the arch on the inside of the planters so the gourds could grow up and not shade the planters. I know you were working with what you had existing, but if building one from scratch, that might be a good thing to try. I'm thinking I want to build one too!

  • frank ortmann

    Great Job!!!!!!!!,….thank you for sharing. It will be my project in 2020. Totally fantastic, I see that at first time and think about all positive features.

  • Shannon Robinson

    The bitter gourd contains Quinine just like tonic water. You can reduce the bitter by slicing thin and salting, then rinse and squeeze out the water. You can also blanch in boiling water and drain before using. They are very cooling in hot weather and excellent for cleaning the liver, especially when paired with turmeric. I wouldn’t mix into other stews as they over power other veg. The sweet ones are great in curries and soups( pairs well with pork or chicken). I buy bitter melon, but haven’t grown successfully yet. The white less bumpy ones are the least bitter. I’ve grown the sweet ones and the are wonderful. I use them in place of zucchini.

  • Darlenejoy

    I’m growing in/on ground as I’m just beginning to build my garden (keeping costs down). So I’ve been making small tunnels with T-Posts and cattle panels. I love the idea of not bending down to the ground like you have. However, at least with on ground tunnels, I’ll get to harvest while standing. Love your raised beds!

    I love how large you built the goursctunbel. A shady retreat!!

    I’ve made little ones (arched) for my green beans on one side and tomatoes on the other, making a couple for two kinds of grapes, and plan a couple on next garden beds (I’ll be digging and leveling more slope next week) to have them for cucumbers and squash and other small vegetables that vine.

    How far off the ground can I raise the panels before wiring to the T-Post? This will heighten the arch; however, I don’t know how close the panel has to be for the baby plant to reach it?

  • Chrystal McAlister

    Hi Mark! So I have talked to my Mom about doing this, but her concerns are snakes. Have you encountered many snakes in the trellis? Thank you in advance!

  • marche ck

    Too much gourd Mark? Here's how to consume them

    Luffa gourds (young): Pick them before they turn fibrous. A typical recipe in my country is to stir fry with garlic & eggs. Makes a slightly sweet but savoury dish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEf1DH-zLtY The key is not to stir fry them until cooked, that is just to bring out its aroma, the real cooking is when salt is added, all the gourd's juices will seep out and boil the gourd itself. Continue boiling until it is soft enough to cut with a spoon. Add water if necessary, eg. if the juices dried out before the flesh is cooked through.

    Also, the part near the stalk can be a bit bitter. To deal with this first cut off the top of the gourd off, take it, then rub both the cut surface together as if you are trying to fuse them back. You will begin to see some white latex forming, this is what we want to get rid of. Keep rubbing until you see no extra latex coming out, discard the top, clean & peel the gourd and get cooking.

    Luffa gourds (old): Too late, just leave them on the vine to dry out. What remains is a fibrous carcass of its former self, aka luffa sponge. Traditionally used as a general purpose scrubbing pad, including as a body scrub. Funny how things had come full circle, these lame old timey things are now an 'in' item.

    Bitter gourd: Good news and bad news. The variety you are planting is what we call an Indian bitter gourd. Small, but highly valued for it's medicinal value. In India its said that it is good for diabetes. But as always, things that are good for your body NEVER taste well. It is so bitter even some adults can't handle them, children will outright spit them out. Only those with good discipline are capable of consuming it regularly.

    Or you can do this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp-a5y8rY28 . Slice them up, salt them, let most of its juices seep out, rinse thoroughly, then stir fry with lots of side ingredients. The salting will get rid most of its bitter medicinal goodness, and the side ingredients will buffer out any bitterness left.

    If it's still too much then you're WEAK! Or just get the less overpowering Chinese variety :D.

    Like Vegemite and Marmite, bitter gourds are an aquired taste. Love it, or hate it.

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