First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis?

cholyk 3/16/2021, 9:26 pm

Hi all, I have a trellis on the north side but it's only about 4 feet tall. I'm a little worried that the beans and sugar snap peas will grow too tall and I'm not sure if I'll have room along the trellis for two tomato plants as well as sugar snap peas and beans? Here are my two potential layouts. What do you think? Two tomato plants or just one? I'd really appreciate any advice.

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Garden10

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Garden11

**sanderson** 3/16/2021, 10:40 pm

Sugar Snap Peas will outgrow the a 4' trellis. So will an indeterminate tomato.

My recommendations would be to build a taller trellis that will handle SS peas, pole beans, and an indeterminate tomato trained to just the main stem. Potatoes can be grown in a 5-gallon bucket if determinate or a larger container if they are the hilling indeterminate type.

OhioGardener 3/17/2021, 8:31 am

sanderson wrote:Sugar Snap Peas will outgrow the a 4' trellis. So will an indeterminate tomato.

So true! So do pole beans. The arbor between my raised beds is 6' tall, and the Blue Lake Pole Beans went all the way up the side, over the top, and down the other side. The Indeterminate Tomato (a Rutgers) went all the way up the side, and across the top of the arbor.

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Arbor_16

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Arbor_17

**sanderson** 3/17/2021, 4:29 pm

A photo is worth a thousand words.

cholyk 3/18/2021, 8:01 pm

Oh wow.

Ok. So is there any way to limit the growth of the pole beans and sugar snap peas? I know you can pinch off the tomatoes when they have the desired number of trusses (4-5, I've read) but can you do that with beans and peas? If they grow too much, I won't be able to find all the pods and then they'll stop growing right? Especially since they're beside the fence. (Seriously, all theoretical from my readings as I've never tried to grow anything!!) I will definitely try to make the trellis taller too.

OhioGardener 3/18/2021, 8:15 pm

cholyk wrote:Oh wow. Ok. So is there any way to limit the growth of the pole beans and sugar snap peas? I know you can pinch off the tomatoes when they have the desired number of trusses (4-5, I've read) but can you do that with beans and peas? If they grow too much, I won't be able to find all the pods and then they'll stop growing right? Especially since they're beside the fence. (Seriously, all theoretical from my readings as I've never tried to grow anything!!) I will definitely try to make the trellis taller too.

I'll reply with this quote from the Gardening Know How site, since I couldn't have said it any better:

"In the case of pole beans, does pinching pole beans’ foliage back result in a greater harvest or does it result in stunting pole bean growth? Certainly if aggressively cutting back or pinching the pole beans, you’ll indeed temporarily stunt the pole bean growth. However, given the nature of the plant, this is generally short lived. Healthy pole beans are prolific growers and reach for the sun rapidly, so will just continue to do so regardless. Pole bean pinching for the purpose of stunting pole bean growth is generally an exercise in futility."

From,https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beans/pole-bean-pinching.htm

**sanderson** 3/19/2021, 2:20 am

Cholyk, I would recommend that you replace the 2 vertical poles with 10' EMT. That will give you an 8' trellis from the top of your table top bed. Tie it loosely to the bottom of the bed legs and strap it to the back seating edge with 2-wing fasteners of EMT.

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Trelli20

cholyk 3/19/2021, 10:10 am

Thanks Sanderson, I'll do that. I'll need a ladder to pick them though since they'll be 12 feet high at that point!

OhioGardener 3/19/2021, 1:49 pm

cholyk wrote:Thanks Sanderson, I'll do that. I'll need a ladder to pick them though since they'll be 12 feet high at that point!

Some of use have to do that when the tomatoes get 8' tall. Ha!

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Tomato54

cholyk 3/19/2021, 6:20 pm

Looks amazing! I'm just ordering my seedlings now. Do you think it's safe to order the exact number I need? Or should I order more in case the transplanting doesn't go well? I don't want to waste but I don't want to be left with no plants when everything is sold out May 24 weekend.

yolos 3/19/2021, 9:24 pm

This picture was taken in June. I still had at least 2-1/2 months left in the growing season. They were 8 feet tall at this time and they were growing in large buckets. Planted in the ground they get even larger. I could not find a picture of me picking tomatoes from a ladder. But I also enclosed a picture of me picking some Rattlesnake Pole Beans.

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Tomato53

This is probably my favorite garden picture of all time. The picture was also taken in late June. I still had 2-1/2 months left of growing season. Rattlesnake Pole Beans. This was an 8 foot trellis. The beans just tangled up at the top of the trellis.

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis? Rattle14

**sanderson** 3/24/2021, 9:39 am

cholyk wrote:Thanks Sanderson, I'll do that. I'll need a ladder to pick them though since they'll be 12 feet high at that point!

I meant for you to set the end of the poles on the ground. The remain 8' will be above the rim of the bed.

You can also pound a piece of 3/8" rebar into the ground and slip the EMT over it. Then strap the 2 poles to the edge of the "seat" of your bed.

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First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis?

Two tomato plants or one?

First SFG - How much can fit on a 4ft x 5ft trellis?

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