Growing Cantaloupes Vertically on a Trellis in a Raised Bed Garden

I really enjoy growing melons in the garden, such as watermelon and cantaloupes. But this is the first time I have tried to grow them on a trellis, so I thought I would try it myself and share my experience.

There are a couple of challenges I have had trying to grow melons without a trellis. First, melons such as cantaloupe will grow vigorously and they take up a lot of space. Second, when you start to get fruit they will be sitting on the ground which can more easily lead to disease and rot if you’re not careful. Growing on a trellis solves both of these issues.

This year I am growing 2 different varieties, both of which are personal size cantaloupes: Sugarcube and Minnesota Midget. Both are growing well up the trellis, although I would say the Sugarcube variety has been a little more aggressive both in terms of growth rate and ability to throw off climbers to attach to the trellis.

Once the fruit begins to form, the trellis makes it very easy to hang some kind of netting or support. These varieties are personal size, so they don’t get as big as a normal cantaloupes. But the trellis gives you flexibility to support and protect the fruit as needed depending on the variety you are growing.

One thing I noticed that I didn’t expect is the amount of honeybees on the cantaloupe plants. They must really like the flowers, because these plants - more than others - are usually busy with honeybees that are bouncing from flower to flower. Because of this, I have noticed good pollination rates on the cantaloupes themselves, and I like the added benefit that this seems to be a strong attractor of honeybees to the garden.

So if you’ve tried to grow cantaloupes, but were frustrated because of space constraints or rotting of the fruit, give the trellis approach a try. I think you may be pleasantly surprised like I was. Good luck!

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