Arches

I love my fence panel arches. They’re better than any tomato cage I’ve ever used and they make harvesting cucumbers a snap. They don’t get blown over by the wind or pulled down by the weight of the plants they’re supporting. Once the plants reach the top they become cool, shady tunnels that offer respite from the hot summer sun.

The one that started it all. My first arch. This year it has pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, and mouse melons on one side and tomatoes on the other.

The arch at the entrance to the garden. This was the last arch to be planted. It has Japanese long cucumbers, various tomatoes, and morning glories growing up it and squash and herbs growing next to it.

My newest and tallest arch. This one has a half dozen different varieties of tomatoes growing up it.

 

The plants that I’ve found best suited to growing on arches are vining types of tomatoes, all types of  cucumbers, winter squash, gourds, and vining flowers. Some types of tomatoes (I’m looking at you, Husky Red Cherries!) are too short and brittle to successfully weave through the wire.

Slicing cucumbers stay straight and clean when they’re up off of the ground.

Mouse melons always reach the top of arch quickly and dangle down over my head.

Good tomato varieties for weaving through the arch. These are Juliet, Phoenix, and Yellow Boy.

The Husky Red cherry tomato is too short and the vines are to brittle to do well on the arch. They would like a nice sturdy cage instead.