Edible vine plants are perfect for small gardens because they can be grown vertically.
There are many different fruit and vegetable vines that don’t take up too much space, especially when they’re trained to grow up a trellis, fence or arbor.
Here are 12 climbing edible vines to grow in your garden so you can have your own kitchen garden at home.
Some of these vines are annuals, while others are perennials, so they’ll come back year after year.
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12 EDIBLE VINES FOR SMALL GARDENS
FRUIT VINES
1. Grapes
Grapes
They grow best in full sun and need plenty of space to spread out.
Newly planted grape vines can take up to three years to produce fruit but it’s worth the wait to have your own juicy, home-grown grapes.
Grape vines need to be pruned regularly to control their growth and produce the best quality fruit.
2. Passionfruit
Passionfruit
They grow best in warm, subtropical climates in a position with full sun.
Passionfruit vines are fast growing but they can take between 12 to 18 months to produce fruit.
Plant bare-root passionfruit canes in the spring.
3. Raspberry
Growing raspberries
There are two different types of raspberries – summer fruiting and fall fruiting varieties. [1]
If you’re looking for something a bit different for your garden, you can plant yellow or black raspberry plants.
4. Blackberry
Blackberry
They grow on thorny vines and in some areas they’re classified as a weed because they can form prickly thickets that take over a whole area.
Regular pruning will keep the vines in check and assist with fruit production.
Blackberry vines grow best in full sun and they will produce berries in their second year of growth.
5. Kiwi
Kiwis
They’re a perennial vine and grow best in warm climates with short winters.
Kiwi vines can reach up to 20 feet (6 m) long, so they need plenty of space to spread out.
They’re ideal for growing on a trellis or pergola.
6. Melons
There are many different types of melons that you can grow on a trellis to save space.
Cantaloupes (rockmelons), honeydew melons and watermelons are great choices but you’ll need to make a hammock out of an old piece of clothing or pantyhose to support the weight of the melon.
VEGETABLE VINES
7. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are easy vining vegetables for beginner gardeners to grow and they can be trained to grow up a trellis or wooden stake.
Large tomato varieties like beefsteak
8. Cucumbers
Cucumber
Training cucumber plants to grow up a trellis makes them easier to harvest and they’re less likely to be affected by pests and diseases.
It’s best to harvest cucumbers regularly to avoid the plant becoming too heavy.
9. Pumpkin
Many people with small gardens avoid growing pumpkins because the vines spread out and can easily take over the garden.
You can train pumpkins to grow vertically on a trellis and there are many small pumpkin varieties to choose from.
Read more about growing pumpkins on a trellis in this article:
How To Grow Pumpkins Vertically
10. Bitter melon
Bitter melons
They grow best in full sun and prefer a tropical or subtropical climate.
Each vine will produce about 10 to 12 fruits.
Bitter melons are very bitter so they won’t suit everyone’s taste.
11. Chayote
Chayote
They grow best in tropical or subtropical climates and each vine can produce 50 to 100 fruits. [1]
It’s best to harvest chayotes when they’re young because the skin becomes tough as the fruits grow larger.
They can be boiled or steamed and taste similar to marrow.
12. Hyacinth beans
The last edible vining vegetable on this list is purple hyacinth beans
They look great growing vertically and grow best in full sun on a sturdy trellis.
So there are 12 edible climbing vines to plant in your garden.
Growing these plants vertically means that you can save lots of space in your garden.
RELATED ARTICLES
- How To Create A Vertical Plant Wall
- How To Grow Strawberries Vertically
- 12 Berry Vines For Backyard Gardens
- How to Remove Blackberry Bushes
- How To Start A Small Backyard Farm
Have you tried growing any of these vining plants? Let me know in the comments below.
Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Urban Gardens and Climbing Plants that you may enjoy. You can also find me on Facebook.
My mom actually has been growing grapes for many years. She really enjoys being able to go out and pick her own grapes from the vine. She has expressed a little frustration when caring for the vines but she said in the end it is worth it. I wanted to grow raspberries this year, but did not get around to it. Maybe next growing season I will. 🙂
Yes! My dad grows some bitter melon, cucumber, and pumpkin. I didn’t know tomatoes are vines in other countries? Coz here in the PH, it’s not. SO surprised!
Our neighbors had a pumpkin on their doorstep a couple of years ago that rotted after Halloween and they threw it out. Well, a whole bunch of seeds must have fallen out because the following year they had a mini pumpkin patch by their front door. It didn’t take much for those pumpkins to grow. I am a huge fan of all of these vine fruits especially blackberries and strawberries. I eat them right off the vine at my friend’s house.
I had no idea kiwis grew on vines! We’ve got a grape vine growing but I think our next step is tomatoes… and then we’ll go from there!
I would love to be able to grow my own fruit and veggie vines. I think this is something I will definitely try sometime.
I have been wanting to try my luck with growing raspberries. They are so delicious, but the ones in the store are just crap. Growing my own would be so much easier and tastier! I had no idea that bitter melons could be grown on a vine. Tomatoes really are the perfect beginner plant though. Those are on my list to grow as well, and start canning them next season. Right now canning jars are next to impossible to find, unfortunately.
The only things that we grew on vines when we were kids was pumpkin and gourd in our house. Your post was so informative and refreshing. Wish we had a garden now.