Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Trellises

I built some trellises yesterday. The first is to go over the path and have runner beans climbing up it. I'm not sure it is sturdy enough. The issue is two fold. The first is connecting the bamboo together. I can't use screws as the bamboo is too small. Though I could for the big ones if I could find a long and thin bolt (I'll have to look for it next time I'm at the store). You don't want to put too large of a hole through the bamboo as bamboo has a tendency to split. It is not as sturdy as wood. I tried to use my hemp twine to connect it. I made the twine wet. I assumed this would stretch out the fibers and if I pulled really tightly when they dried it would be very tight. But did you know that hemp doesn't stretch much when it is wet? In fact if anything the fibers are looser than before. Hmm. It could be is that all I need to do is use a lot of hemp. I'll see.

The second issue is attaching it to the ground. I figured I'd be able to pound it in enough to keep it from moving. Not so. The ground under where the feet go is close to the brick path. These paths are made to go out about 6-12" to the side so the paths don't degrade. I know this when I dig in the garden and leave that part alone. But it is filled with a material that I can't get through with the bamboo either. It stops dead at the level of the fill. Good for the path, bad to pound in bamboo. I could probably attach the bamboo to the bed itself. It wouldn't be hard. But that isn't the side I'm worried about. That side will have beans growing up it and the beans will be firmly attached to the ground. I've never had a bean trellis fly away from me. However the other side just has onions. There will be no plants holding it down. And that side is brick and not mortared in brick or anything but just a couple bricks piled on one another to make the bed. I'm wondering if it is possible to pound in some rebar and attach the legs to the rebar.

Lets just say my trellis isn't ready for prime time yet.

The next trellises that I built were easy to make as I've done them so many times in the past. Notice how I kept the path end a foot away so I could get the poles a foot into the ground. I'll run string or netting (depending on the crop). The closest two will be for my cucumbers and melons. The back one will be beans (one of many bean trellises that will be built) and the empty spot in that bed is for my zucchini. I'd been chitting some early zucchinis inside. One had started to germinate already so I planted that one. I have room for four zucchinis. I figured two would be early and two would be a bit later when it warms up a bit more.

I've got a lot of planting to do over the next couple of weeks. I need to get my corn and some of the beans in soon. Some will wait for the spinach to be harvested. I have so many varieties of beans that I have to organize and figure out what goes in where. But just getting a list of all the varieties I have would be a good start.

15 comments:

  1. Your trellis structures are very beautiful as well as functional. I was going to suggest trying the rebar approach and then as I was thinking that... I read your note that you also wondered if that would work! I am also wondering how much anchoring you really need? Do you get high winds in that part of the garden such that it would catch a trellis laden with beans and blow it down? It may be that one point of anchoring on the bed is all it would need to stay upright in mild to heavy winds. Depends on your wind flow across the property.

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  2. Your trellis great. Ours are so horrible that we always hope that plants grow fast and quickly cover them;-).

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  3. Beautiful trellises, I hope you get them anchored well. We had such high winds this winter, even the 6' chain link of the kennel, and the posts to which it was attached, were moved about 6". That was from the wind against the dead morning glory vines, so yes your trellis full of beans could possibly find itself in the next bed over!

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  4. I really like your trellises,they are very nice to look at and functional.I might have to try one similar..

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  5. Regarding your zucchinis, the forecast for our area is mild weather for the next 10 days. That takes us to mid-May. I'm hoping the threat of frost is minimal at this point. I've set out a few summer squashes already (Zephyr and Early Prolific, they had just grown too large for my seed racks) and I plan on setting out a bunch more this weekend -- assuming the compost delivery arrives by Friday.

    http://www.media-organic.com/garden-week-in-review-4

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  6. Lorie,thanks

    Laura, I do get some very strong winds going through there. I think wind would blow it away if it weren't attached to the ground somehow.

    Diana, thanks

    Granny, that is what I'm afraid of. The last thing I need to be making for the back yard is an airplane.

    Tom, thanks

    Media, I did notice the long range forecast. Basically after Thursday we will have low to mid 60s during the day and about 50 at night. If it holds up things should be good. I started chitting a lot of seed today. If it doesn't hold up I'll have to find blankets.

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  7. We are doing something similar. They look great.

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  8. When I read trellis, I didn't imagine a work of art:) Those look very artistic. I wonder if you need to take them down for winter and how many years you could possibly reuse them.

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  9. It looks like you could attach two of the trellis legs to the boards of the raised bed?

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  10. I've been thinking about building my own trellises and wondering about various designs. It's very helpful to see pictures like yours - thank you so much for sharing! That bean structure would look so beautiful fully covered with vines and beans. If it doesn't fly away like Granny mentioned, that is. :-)

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  11. Do you find the ends degrade? My bamboo gets shorter every year!

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  12. GoneferalinID, thanks

    RandomGardener, I always take them down for winter. I've never left them up. I have to move them to another bed anyway and winter is really hard on well anything. But I'm guessing they last much longer getting taken down. The A frame ones always get taken completely apart to store. The other will have the top and the side detached, but those will probably stay put together.

    Karen Anne, I could. They don't exactly touch the boards (they can't and still go into the ground at all). They are a few inches away, but I could still attache them. The other side though doesn't have any boards so that is my issue.

    thyme, it will look pretty if I can get it tacked down.

    Stefaneener, yes the ends do degrade over time. I haven't found it to be too problematic though. These might be better a few inches shorter.

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  13. Nice trellises, your garden is very well laid out and organized.

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  14. Hi Daphne! Greetings from Wyoming!

    Cool trellises! I'm inspired!

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