Tips on Using Trellis Netting in an Indoor Garden

Veggies and Vines

• Trellis netting helps support a range of plant life in indoor potted situations, including fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, peas, beans, squash, tomatoes and grapes. It also works well behind vining plants such as bougainvillea, ivy, nasturtiums and gold pathos plants.

Setup

• Choose an indoor site where the plants will get their required light exposure every day--most fruits and vegetables do best with 6 to 8 hours of full natural or artificial light. Pin the netting to a nearby wall to create your own living wall, or sink stakes into 2 pots at the ends of your trellis and tie the netting to these stakes. Set the pots at either end of the indoor-garden row.

Tying

• Some plants train themselves to climb, while others need help. Tie vegetable, fruit and plant vines to the net as they grow up, to train them. Use cord, twine or felt to secure the main stems. Keep the ties loose to avoid damaging the plants, and tie only woody or main stems, as foliage, fruit and new shoots tend to break.

Other Maintenance

• Keep the plants healthy and happy with a range of other growing conditions. Use appropriately sized pots for long-term growing, with rich, healthy potting soil. The University of Vermont Extension recommends 15- to 20-gallon pots for large plants such as grapevines, while the Ohio State University Extension calls 5-gallon pots adequate for tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. Use a mix of bagged garden loam and organic compost for potting, and include general all-purpose fertilizer or plant food. Water potted plants with 2 inches of water every 4 to 5 days to keep them moist and happy.