21 DIY Watermelon Trellis Ideas – Grow Watermelons Vertically!
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As the days get longer and warmer, it’s the perfect time to start a new garden project like a watermelon trellis. Late spring and early summer are ideal for planting watermelons, which are big, juicy, and packed with health benefits.
Watermelons can be large and heavy, with vines that can grow up to 20 feet long. Growing them vertically on a trellis saves space, improves ventilation, and reduces the risk of diseases. Let your imagination run wild and get inspired by these budget-friendly trellis ideas!
Psst… Don’t miss our other post – Sturdy Grape Trellis Ideas! Many of these trellises and arbors are awesome for your watermelon plant too.
21 Great Ideas for a DIY Watermelon Trellis
1. The Simple A-Frame Watermelon Trellis
This simple DIY watermelon trellis by A Farm Girl in the Making can be made from almost any sturdy material. Using off-cuts of wood and stout wires, you can create a robust yet uncomplicated trellis.
The frame is built from fence posts, with hog panels forming the trellis. For extra support, add bamboo shelving to help hold the heavy fruits as they grow. This design ensures your watermelons stay well-supported and healthy.
2. Easy DIY Watermelon Trellis
This versatile watermelon trellis by One Creative Mommy is designed so you can grow companion plants like borage, lavender, and marigold alongside your melons. Nylon or wire mesh is supported by a galvanized steel frame that is bolted into place to create a structure capable of supporting the weight of a large watermelon vine while giving it plenty of growing space and ventilation.
Loving the vertical gardening journey? Don’t miss: How to Grow Zucchini Vertically!
3. Wooden Bridge Trellis
This trellis, made from wooden slats and metal wire, is perfect for growing watermelons vertically. It supports the vines, keeps the fruits off the ground, and looks great in any garden. Ideal for small spaces, it improves air circulation and sun exposure for a healthy harvest.
4. Simple Cattle Panel Trellis
This YouTube video showcases an ingenious DIY melon trellis made from simple materials. Learn how to build a sturdy and functional trellis using basic tools and supplies, perfect for supporting your climbing watermelon vines.
5. T-Posts and Twine Watermelon Trellis
This clever yet straightforward idea by Seed Savers Exchange makes the melons decorative as well as delectable. All you need is a few T-posts and some twine. Plant your watermelon seeds or seedlings inside the V-shaped structure, training them along the trellis. The flowers and fruits will hang on either side of the V as they grow, creating an attractive garden feature.
6. PVC Watermelon Trellis
This lightweight but strong trellis by Great Lakes Prepping is designed to be covered with peas and cucumber vines. It’s perfect for watermelons!
One of the joys of PVC is that it’s light and easy to work with. You don’t need much DIY experience to make this watermelon trellis, and in terms of materials, all you need is a few PVC pipes, elbow joints, PVC primer, and some PVC glue (cement).
7. 50′ Melon Tunnel
This trellis design is perfect for maximizing vertical space in your garden, promoting better airflow and sunlight exposure for healthier plants and bigger harvests. It’s an easy and affordable project for any gardener!
8. Arched Trellis for Watermelon Plants
Create an eye-catching feature by building a garden archway to support your watermelons! While some designs are complex and require some serious carpentry, others can be cobbled together using a few branches and some garden wire. This particular trellis is part of the kitchen garden at Salle Hall, near Norfolk, England. This walled kitchen garden dates back to the 1780s and still has many original characteristics!
9. Mobile Trellis for Mini Melons
In some areas, the weather doesn’t play ball for the entire 80-day growing period required by the watermelon, which is where a mobile trellis comes into its own.
This inventive design means you can start your seedlings in a greenhouse and then move them outside as the weather gets warmer. If the temperature drops before the fruit starts to ripen, move them back inside again!
10. Bike Wheel Trellis
Upcycling is always my first choice, and these bicycle-wheel trellises by The Family Chapters were too cool to overlook, even though they may be more suited to cucumbers and potentially not robust enough to support a watermelon vine.
11. Old Spring Bed Watermelon Trellis
I love this watermelon trellis idea by My Sweet Cottage. If you have an old bed lying around, this is a perfect upcycle project that doesn’t require advanced DIY skills.
Simply strip the bed down to the frame and springs, then secure it to a garden wall or greenhouse. You could also build a planter and incorporate the trellis into your design. While it may not support larger watermelon varieties, it’s perfect for smaller types like the Golden Midget.
Unfortunately, My Sweet Cottage is no longer active so I have removed the link, but I adore the idea!
12. Upcycled Vintage Tool Trellis
While this design by Sadie Seasongoods looks supremely funky, it would need a little more backbone if you wanted to grow watermelon on it. Perhaps a couple more utensils to create a more A-framed structure would do the trick?
13. Wooden A-Frame Watermelon Trellis
This DIY watermelon trellis uses wooden slats with vertical supports and horizontal slats to create a sturdy, space-saving structure. Ideal for raised beds, it keeps fruits off the ground, reducing rot and pests. Easy to build and budget-friendly, this design promotes healthy growth and a plentiful harvest.
14. Cattle Panel Trellis
This idea is similar in essence to the A-frame trellis. It’s also one of the quickest to construct so it’s ideal for people like me who may have only just noticed that summer’s on the way. Built using a cattle panel with some metal posts for support, it creates an attractive arch that’s tall enough to walk through, giving you easy access to your watermelon plants and fruits.
15. Grow Watermelon on an Existing Fence
This is one of my favorite methods for vertical vegetable growing. I use all my fences to grow plants on! This does depend a little on whether the animals have access to the particular fence – cows and horses love watermelons, so you’ll need to protect your fruits!
If you have a fence, you can turn it into a watermelon trellis with minimal effort. If it doesn’t already have wire or mesh, all you need to do is attach sturdy netting or wire mesh to the fence. Make sure it’s strong enough to support the weight of growing watermelons.
16. Hinged Pallets as Plant Support
Repurposing wooden pallets is a cost-effective way to create a watermelon trellis. Stand the pallets vertically, similar to the compost pile structure in the photo above. Connect the pallets using hinges to form a zig-zag pattern. This structure provides plenty of support and climbing space for watermelon vines, and you can easily adjust the size and shape to fit your garden.
17. DIY Free Cucumber Trellis – Perfect for Watermelons Too!
Looking for a fun and budget-friendly way to support your watermelon vines? Check out this DIY cucumber trellis tutorial by The Real Farmhouse! Made from simple, free materials, this sturdy trellis is perfect for watermelons too. It maximizes your garden space and helps your vines grow tall and healthy.
18. Wooden Tomato Cages
Repurpose these sturdy wooden tomato cages into a watermelon trellis! These cages, originally designed for tomatoes, are strong enough to support growing watermelons. Just place them in your garden, train the vines to climb, and watch your watermelons flourish vertically.
19. Vertical Watermelon Patch for Small Spaces
Create a vertical watermelon patch with this clever idea from Offbeat Home! Originally designed for pumpkins, this trellis setup can easily support heavy watermelon vines. Using sturdy materials and a creative vertical design, you can easily maximize garden space and grow watermelons. Perfect for small gardens!
20. Rustic Raised Bed Trellis
This DIY pole trellis is perfect for growing watermelons vertically in a raised garden bed. Crafted from natural log poles, it provides strong support for climbing watermelon vines. The A-frame design maximizes growing space while allowing for excellent air circulation. Plus, it looks great with hanging baskets and marigolds at the base, adding a touch of charm to your garden.
21. Bagged Bamboo Trellis
An ingenious, space-saving trellis! Grow your watermelons in bags underneath a bamboo trellis and enjoy gorgeous, juicy watermelons in your own backyard.
Watermelon Trellis FAQ
These DIY trellis ideas are adaptable to different garden sizes and budgets, allowing everyone to enjoy the benefits of vertical gardening – whether you’re on a homestead or urban area.
By elevating the vines and the fruits, trellises can minimize diseases, improve air circulation, and make harvesting easier.
To finish up, here are some commonly asked questions about growing watermelons on a trellis:
Watermelons don’t care if they’re growing up or out – they just love to grow!
Some say growing vigorous watermelon vines on your lawn works well, while others say growing it vertically prevents fungal diseases and increases the watermelon yield.
I grow mine on the lawn, but remember that you can’t mow the grass underneath – it looks pretty messy!
The choice is yours, but if you’re short on space, training it to grow on some kind of climbing structure allows you to grow other things at the same time.
For small melon plants, like the Mini Love, a trellis of around 6 feet is sufficient. Larger watermelons will inevitably need larger, more substantial structures.
Most melon varieties need some kind of support as they ripen, and many different methods exist.
You could use old nylon stockings, mesh, lattice, bamboo shelves, soft plant ties… the list is almost endless. You can buy specialized watermelon hammocks on Amazon, too.
I even saw someone using old mesh carrot bags, which seemed to work effectively and complement the style of an upcycled vertical trellis.
The Best Watermelon Varieties + Vertical Growing Accessories
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You Don’t Need Acres of Space
You don’t need acres of space to successfully grow a crop of watermelons!
As long as you choose your variety with care and build trellises according to the needs of the vine, its trailing stems, and ripe fruit weight, you should be able to enjoy the health benefits of sweet watermelon all summer long.
