When it comes to growing fruits and vegetables at home or on your allotment, there are so many different ways to do it. Veg plots, greenhouse, or polytunnel. But there is another option. You can use a vertical growing arch and more and more gardeners are discovering this way of growing climbing vegetables and fruits.

But what is a vertical growing arch and what can you grow on it? We’ve put together this helpful guide to get your started and we know that you’ll be just as enamoured with this growing technique as we are. Let’s get started.

What is a vertical growing arch?

A vertical growing arch is a metal arch that is used to grow plants vertically. The structure is something like an open tunnel with a series of arches connected by horizontal supports. They’re great if you want a space saving way of growing plants, fruits, and vegetables.

Vegetable and fruit plants are planted along the sides of the arch and can then grow upwards and over the top of it. The result is a beautiful arch covered in plants. Best of all if you’re growing veggies or fruits, they are plants you can eat!

It is possible to try and make your own arch out of wood. Gardeners have made lightweight arches out of things like hazel which is flexible enough to be turned into an arch. However, if you want something really robust that will be able to take the weight of all the plants, it’s wiser to opt for a specially manufactured arch made from galvanised high tensile steel.

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This is a brilliant material for outdoor use as it’s resistant to weather and won’t rust. What’s more, it’s lightweight and easy to use. With a Direct Plants vertical growing arch all you need to do is put them together and start planting. These arches are not only really robust but they’re also designed to allow wind to pass through so there’s no worry of the stability being affected in bad weather.

Which fruits and vegetables can you grow on a vertical growing arch?

Your vertical growing arch is so versatile and can be used to grow an abundance of different fruits and vegetables. Of course, you do need to make sure that you can provide the right conditions, for example, sunlight, soil PH, and other factors but generally speaking you can grow any of the following:

●Cucumbers 

●Grapes 

●Kiwi 

●Peas 

●Green beans 

●Winter squash 

●Tomatoes 

●Pumpkin 

●Melon 

●Passionfruit 

●Hops 

●Summer squash 

●Strawberries 

●Courgette 

●Sweet potato

What’s more, a lot of people will use their vertical growing arch for roses. If you want to add a splash of colour and elegance to your garden then this is a great idea.

Tips for success

It sounds obvious but do carefully measure the space you have available before ordering your vertical growing arch. We make arches in two widths, 10’ and 14’ wide and up to 48 feet in length with a minimum size of 16’ long.

If you only have a small garden, there’s no point in buying one of the larger arches as your fruit and vegetables won’t have space to grow.

You can see in the video below how easy it is to erect on of our vertical growing arches.

When installing a vertical growing arch, we would suggest first marking out the area using sticks and string. You will then need to hammer in the ground posts, making sure that only six inches remains visible outside of the soil. Take your time erecting the structure and don’t fully tighten it until it’s totally up. This will allow for adjustments which you’ll probably need to do to get it exactly as you want it.

Naturally, you will have the greatest success with growing plants vertically when they have good support. Your arch will provide most of this but if you need to put additional supports in place then do this. You will need to train the plants to climb where you want them to go and this involves tying any new growth to the structure using twine. If there are any branches growing in the wrong direction, you will need to prune these so keep a constant eye on your plants.

In the list of fruit and vegetable plants above, you will notice that there are plants with a variety of different needs. It’s important to think about the local climate and choose plants that will thrive rather than trying to grow something like passion fruit in Scotland; it just isn’t going to happen. You’ll have the best success when you choose native plants.

The great thing about planting climbing vegetables is that it can be done at any time of the year. The only time it isn’t suitable is when the ground is frozen or overly wet. We would also suggest waiting if the weather is very windy. However, if you have the freedom to choose, we would recommend planting in fall while the soil is still a little warmer so it will support root growth before the cold really sets in.

Using your vertical growing arch

Growing fruit and vegetables vertically comes with a lot of advantages. For example, you can grow much more food in a smaller space and harvesting is much easier. Moreover, when you grow your plants vertically, they are not in contact with the ground so there is less chance that diseases and pests will affect them.

A vertical growing arch is an excellent way to create a feature in your garden, as once your plants are established and climbing, it will look amazing. What’s more, you can grow a whole host of different plants provided that the conditions are right and it’s even possible to add in some roses for fragrance and beauty.

Check out our full range of vertical growing arches. All are made by us in our Norfolk workshops and are available for immediate despatch.