Best and worst trellis netting?

Hello garden family! Is anyone else already dreaming of spring, starting seeds and garden planning?

My current conundrum: I'm entering my 3rd year of SFG and have gradually added to my garden size over the seasons. The trellis netting I bought the 1st year is still holding strong after lots of heavy tomatoes, watermelon and squash. The netting I got last year for my newest trellis (which I thought was the same???) completly shredded after a month of peas and cantalope vines (no fruit). So, I quickly and half-hazardly wove some sturdy kite string which held for the season but is very saggy now. I'd really like to just replace it with another good netting instead of trying to re-tie and tighten.

So- what type of netting have you used and works best?

I reweave my trellis nets each year with sisal twine because I don't want a mid year failure of the net. I compost the net at the end of the season.

I put up my first trellis, using the netting sold by the Foundation, in 2008. When I moved in 2012, the netting was still going strong! I did have to tighten it up once or twice in the interim.

Thanks for the replies! Since I'm not one to spend the time constructing netting each year (it's hard removing and replacing them with my setup), then sounds like I need to use the one from the foundation. I do check it each season to make sure it's sturdy.

I have a netting question: How well do Tomatoes do on Trellis netting? Is it better than tomato cages? Thanks

we have used a light welded wire with 4x4 openings. We put it up years ago, and it's still standing, never touched it! It used to be called "tomato guard" wire. You can make tomato cages out of it, but we stretched it across our trellis and works great!! good luck to you.

@NAR56 wrote:I have a netting question: How well do Tomatoes do on Trellis netting? Is it better than tomato cages? Thanks

Mine have done very well....but they are the vining type and not bush. It's pretty easy to train them up the trellis and I usually end up having to gently train them back down a bit too (or let the neighbor pick whatever goes over his side of the fence). On my first net, I've been able to trellis 3 tomato and 4 cuke plants all on one 5' wide, 7' tall net. It's been a good sturdy net and I'm hoping to get another just like it. I think it also helps that my trellis is well anchored for heavy winds too. I have it fastened to my boxes and to our privacy fence. I have yet to use the tomato cages, so I can't answer that part of the riddle.

Sorry, can't help with trellising tomatoes since I string mine, but I use a strong polypropylene trellis netting for my peas and beans that lasts thru the seasons to be folded up and put away for the next season.

They also have super-strong nylon cord netting for the heavy stuff at johnnyseeds.com if you need it.
I got my propylene netting at Blue Seal Feeds since they carried smaller amounts, like 5' by 15' which works better for me to cut to size.

I've used the green garden netting which fell apart before one season and the sisal twine which changed shape thru the season, fat spots and narrow spots here and there, caused by rain, catching on plants. Didn't like that either. Couldn't save those for another year.

Thanks for the feedback. I plan on trellising my tomatoes this spring and just wanted to know if other had success.

I just use pieces of stock panels and T posts. It's never going to wear out.

@Lindacol wrote:I just use pieces of stock panels and T posts. It's never going to wear out.

Very much agree!

I used the metal electrical condiut with garden netting I found last year, which was the first year that I went all-out on sfg. Trellised tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, and beans. FAIL!!!! Saw jmsieglaff's use of cattle panels and electrical conduit, and that's what we'll DEFINITELY be using this year. The cattle panels are smooth, well built, and a 16' panel only runs $20 at our Tractor Supply here. Since they're so long, it will enable us to cut it and use it in several different beds.

Judi

@Lindacol wrote:I just use pieces of stock panels and T posts. It's never going to wear out.

Oh yes! I have a 16' panel arched between 2 2x3 boxes and have been using that nicely for squash and pumpkins. I hadn't thought of cutting a panel for single trellis and am not sure I have the tools to do so. What do you use to cut through that thick of wire? (Forgive my ignorace....but I'm just happy to know how to use a hammer).

Two possibilities come to mind, but I'm sure my husband will add his two cents! I'm thinking either our reciprocating saw with a metal blade or the grinder. I'm sure someone in the tool section of a home improvement store can tell you what tool and blade you could use.

I used a recip saw and metal cutting blades, cut them right on the lawn.

Bolt cutters is what I use. Also I use the cattle panels without a frame - it is not really needed. I do use longer T posts on the ends.

If you want to start smaller than or can't find the cattle panels, I used the concrete reinforcing mesh you can buy at Lowe's/Home Depot. They are just over seven bucks (see the link). I attached it to the bent conduit trellis frame as described in the ANSFG book (instructions start on page 148). link). A nice man at Home Depot bent the conduit for me so I didn't have to buy corners.
I put mine sideways and it spans six feet and is about five feet tall since the bottom rung is several inches off the ground. (Probably should cut my pipes shorter but the peas and beans find it eventually.)

Gwennifer, I saw those exact panels same last night while I was looking for all the other items to make the trellis and thought they would be perfect . I made a special boxes for tomatoes and cucumbers (2 x 8 and 2 x 10) and that is where I plan on putting the trellis. My tomatoes were in cages but grow out of them since they are only 4" tall.
Currently my Broccoli are in the cucumber bed and my tomatoes just finished. Thanks to all who posted with advice.

Always overly proud and happy to re-post my tomato trellis! Its 8' long by 10' high I plant 16 plants in the 2' X 8' box. I use Jute twine to string my vines.

Another vote for cattle panels from me! Tractor supply even cut them for me when I purchased them.

Hoggar....I'm with you. Twine is my favorite tho I use stakes and cages in other places when needed. I just can't see my tomatoes struggling thru trellis wire or netting and having their branches being damaged or bent in the process. Ouch!

I do a lot of trimming and guiding to get my toms to the top of that trellis, but the end result is worth every second.

@quiltbea wrote:Hoggar....I'm with you. Twine is my favorite tho I use stakes and cages in other places when needed. I just can't see my tomatoes struggling thru trellis wire or netting and having their branches being damaged or bent in the process. Ouch!

I did the stringing method my first year growing an indeterminate tomato, training a single vine along twine that was anchored top and bottom. As the tomato grew, the vine grew thicker and thicker and so the twine ended up cutting into it. Didn't seem to affect the vine though I guess. The next year I put the tomato in my new SFG and still trained a single vine but wound it back and forth through the metal trellis as it grew. Those openings are 7" I think - plenty of room to pull the vine through. If I didn't poke it through the next square before it grew too much and was worried about bending it too far, I'd just poke it through the next square instead. It was easy.

I don't anchor the bottom I just stick the loose end in the dirt so it can pull up as the vine gets thicker. The twine has never cut into my vines but I have had the vine get so heavy it broke the twine.

@Hoggar wrote:I don't anchor the bottom I just stick the loose end in the dirt so it can pull up as the vine gets thicker. The twine has never cut into my vines but I have had the vine get so heavy it broke the twine.

I'm wondering what kind of twine you use. You say the vines can get so heavy that they break the twine. I wonder if it is related to how high your trellis support is. I understand it's about 10 ft high. Did you make it so high for a particular reason? Do the vines OFTEN break the twine?

I'm planning my tomato support, and really liked your picture. Your step stool shows me that it's very high for harvesting. Is the 10 feet because the vines demand it, or for another reason?

I did have another question, and I hope "Hoggar" that you can tell me how you rotate using this structure... and I posted it under Garden plans https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t14796-regarding-tomato-boxes-rotation. Thx