Hi everyone,

I had my first SFG last year and loved it! I have a 2x2 box on my south facing apartment balcony that gets sun throughout the summer, so I can grow a variety of things.

Unfortunately, last year was a really hot/dry summer, so I had to constantly water my garden (sometimes twice a day) in order to protect my plants. I had a few plants that were unable to deal with the constant sunlight, so I had some issues with the plants drying out/baking in the sun. I grew cucumbers last year and really enjoyed growing them. I know they require a lot of water and I had to get a 5 foot tall vertical stake trellis for them. Since my box is on my balcony, I don't have any way to place them in the shade unless I constructed something. I guess my question is this: if I want to grow cucumbers and other veggies and want to provide shade to protect them from the baking sun, what would be a good trellis choice? I thought about the arch trellis (with the shade cloth), but would that be a good choice for cucumbers since they may overtake it quickly? I also only have a 2 x 2 box, so it needs to be able to fit in the small space while still allowing other plants (besides cucumbers) to grow. Thank you in advance and let me know if you have any questions.