Squished Squash

Jim needs a bumper sticker on his lawn mower that reads "I don't brake for vines."  One bed of squash (pumpkin, zucchini, and summer yellow) has taken off and is making double-time across the mulch toward the grass.

To save it from a rather abrupt end to its journey, I tossed together a tri-pod trellis.

You can find a list of materials here:

http://organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/simple-squash-trellis

I pretty much flipped through the instructions to get the basic idea and winged it. I didn't pull out a tape measure, but I assure you it's straight. The ground? Not so much.

You'll need a 1/4" drill bit to make holes for the bolt. I only used 4 of the 2"x2"x8' since I attached the legs directly to my beds with 3" wood screws. I didn't have any twine, either, so I used another couple of 3" screws to hold things together at the top. I had the cheapest wood possible, so the whole thing cost around $20.

Concerned my squash might be too inexperienced to figure out a trellis with such wide spacing, I stretched a nylon garden net over one side and secured it with 1 1/2" wood screws.

I carefully (because I forgot to wear gloves) encouraged the squash to attempt the climb. We will see if I end up with a leafy tunnel or it gives up and heads for the grass again.  

I checked on the green beans. There are a few started but something is eating them before they get big. It's hard to appreciate in the picture, but the purple beans have this awesome green fuzz that makes them appear almost iridescent. 

The carrots are still too little to pick but are quite fluffy on top. The kids love running their hands through them.