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Planting a Pumpkin on a Trellis: Tips on How to Make a Pumpkin Trellis

Carolyn Stewart
Posted by Carolyn Stewart November 3, 2020 4 Min Read

Planting a Pumpkin on a Trellis: Tips on How to Make a Pumpkin Trellis

If you’ve ever grown pumpkins or been to a pumpkin patch, you are aware that pumpkins are gluttons for space. For this very reason, I have never attempted to develop my pumpkins as our garden space is limited. A possible solution to this dilemma could be to try growing pumpkins vertically. Is it possible? Can pumpkins grow on trellises? We will learn more.

Can pumpkins grow on trellises?

Oh yes my fellow gardener, planting a pumpkin on a trellis is not a silly proposition. In fact, vertical gardening is a flourishing gardening technique. With urban sprawl comes less space overall with more and more compact homes, which means small garden spaces. For less than spacious garden plots, vertical gardening is the answer. Growing pumpkins vertically (as well as other crops) also improves air circulation, preventing disease and allowing easy access to the fruit.

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Vertical gardening works well on many other crops, including watermelon! Okay, picnic varieties, but watermelon nonetheless. Pumpkins need runners of 10 feet or even longer to provide ample fruit development nutrition. As with watermelon, the best options for planting a pumpkin on a trellis are the smaller varieties, such as:

  • ‘Jack Be Little’
  • ‘Small sugar.’
  • ‘Frosty’

The 10 pounds “Autumn Gold” is trellised with slingshot support and is perfect for a Halloween pumpkin. Even fruit up to 25 pounds can be tangled on pumpkin vine if they are supported properly. If you’re as intrigued as I am, it’s time to learn how to make a pumpkin trellis.

How to make a pumpkin trellis

As with most things in life, creating a pumpkin trellis can be simple or as complex as you like. The simplest support is an existing fence. If you don’t have this option, you can make a simple fence using rope or wire hung between two wooden or metal posts on the ground. Make sure the pots are deep enough to support the plant and fruit.

The frame trellises allow the plant to climb two sides. Use 1 × 2 or 2 × 4 lumber for a pumpkin vine frame trellis. You can also opt for a tepee trellis made of sturdy posts (2 inches thick or more), tied tightly together with a rope at the top, and sunk deep into the ground to support the weight of the vine.

You can buy beautiful working metal trellises or use your imagination to create an arched trellis. Whatever your choice, build and install the trellis before planting the seeds so that it is securely in place when the plant begins to tangle.

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Tie the vines to the trellis with strips of cloth, or even plastic grocery bags, as the plant grows. If you’re growing squash that will only reach 5 pounds, you probably won’t need slings, but for anything above that weight, slings are a must. Slings can be created from old T-shirts or pantyhose, something slightly stretchy. Tie them to the trellis securely with the fruit growing inside to cradle the pumpkins as they grow.

I’m definitely going to try using a pumpkin trellis this year; in fact, I think I could also plant my “must-have” spaghetti squash this way. With this technique, you should have room for both!