I did brussels sprouts last year bucket in bucket. like scooty's pic...4 gal white deli food buckets. They did so well right up until late august when they got mobbed by harlequin bugs. I use dairy pint cups (sour cream etc) for the wick. I've used a raingutter system for a few years now as well that works the same way, but a communal reservoir. The original mix I use is compost/aged horsemanure/peat/perlite. After the season I cut off the plant, cover top with leaf mulch, and leave the bucket intact until spring. When replanting in Spring, I dump the bucket into a wheelbarrow, remove roots, add compost and a couple TBSP of 10-10-10, and reset wick with peat and perlite. It has worked really well for peas, lettuce, beets, among others. I tried summer squash and got SVB just like on the ground. Cucumbers still got cucumber beetles and wilted up before really producing.
If you grow melons onto a trellis I don't see why it wouldn't produce, but the pests still get on it. I am considering doing cantaloupe myself this year on the rain gutter. When I do them on the ground I always lose half to splits from heavy rains and hidden fruit.
Last year I did peppers in the rain gutter and modified my regimen with a large amount of 10-10-10, something like 3/4 cup in a ring around the top edge - an idea from here on tomatoville...the production from that was quite astounding. They put out until November, but I haven't dumped them yet to see what the medium looks like now.
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