Netting issues

There's been a few posts concerning trellising and whether to use nylon netting or wire fencing. I have 3 trellises (threllisi?) with nylon netting and one with horizontal netting (corn). All three of the trellises have collapsed , not due to the frames, but the netting rotted (sun rot, not wet rot since we've had little rain since mid June). The horizontal is hanging in there, but I put it up later, too. I know it was rot, because one collapsed and nothing was growing on it.



I'd show a pic, but there's literally nothin' to see, except threads. I showed this to my Community garden's master gardener and she was shocked.



Anyone else having problems with their netting?

I had the same problem. My cuke pulled it down and had to replace the netting with wire and reattach the plants mid season.

I am building my first trelis so I have some questions regarding the netting

1 What is the diameter of the holes in the netting?

2 Can I use nylon netting as I have deer netting that I can cut for the correct size?

3 What is the best type of netting?

Floyd

Squaredeal and killjug, I am on my second year using the same nylon netting and have had no problems. Of course, in my area, we do not have extreme heat (ever), but we have had a lot of sunshine this summer and last. (Fall, Winter and Spring are another matter, lots of gray skies and lots of rain)
I hope to use my netting for another couple of years. I did bring the netting onto my covered porch for the winter, but otherwise, it had no protection.
Sorry to hear you have had such issues, no one wants their crops to fall like that.

floyd, I would not want to use deer netting for trellising. The holes in deer netting are 1 inch or less, and if any flowers or baby fruit get through the deer netting, you may have a lot of fruit strangling.
Mel recommends nylon trellis netting with 7 inch holes to allow you to get your hand all the way through for ease of caring for your plants and harvesting them too.

I don't use manufactured nylon netting, instead I use sisal or jute twine. There are a number of previous threads that may be helpful. I suggest use the search feature to access them.

Camprn - I did as you suggested, and found a photo you posted 7/2/10 of the netting you created. I think I see how you attached it up at the top (I'd say the type of knot but then would be wrong), but how did you attach the bottom ends?

I used a mesh re-bar type trellis that I wire twist-tied to the EMT tubing. The mesh looks like cattle panel and is available at Home Depot here, maybe nationwide. I really wanted to use nylon netting, per the book, but couldn't find any and waited too long to have it shipped to me by the time my tomatoes needed it. I am happy so far, though, with the metal mesh.

I currently have a cherry tomato, grape tomato, 3 supersteak tomato plants, and 2 cucumber vines all 8 feet tall, and all fruiting, and all using the mesh panels. Nothing leaning, nothing sagging. Steady Eddie.

Furbalsmom


Were did you purchase that nylon netting that are 7x7?

Floyd

I had my nets collapse because they disintegrated. I ordered mine from burpee. I also bought a 15 foot trellis from home depot & that one did the same thing. It was made by burpee too. I do have some other ones that I bought in the staking section og home depot. They are a different brand & they are all doing fine. I guess it just depends on the manufacturer.

floyd1440 wrote:Furbalsmom, Were did you purchase that nylon netting that are 7x7?
Floyd

Available here >>> SFG STORE

I bought mine last year at our local Grange Store ( like a Farm and Garden type store) Wal-Mart did not have any later this year, but I bought some there last year. This year I bought some from Bi-Mart, a locally owned store in OR and WA.

They were all nylon, 7 X 7 inch holes, 4 to 5 feet high and various packs were 10 - 15 - or 20 feet long.

This is the second year I have used this particular piece of netting. Attached to the EMT with zip-ties.

squaredeal wrote:Camprn - I did as you suggested, and found a photo you posted 7/2/10 of the netting you created. I think I see how you attached it up at the top (I'd say the type of knot but then would be wrong), but how did you attach the bottom ends?

With this one I screwed two pieces of old moulding to the bed one on each side of the trellis frame and did an over and under net. Tied off at the ends only, there are no knots at the top, the string just goes over the bar.


For this one I ran a string from one pole to another at the base, then did the over and under weave again. I tied the string loops at the bottom to keep them in place, evenly spaced.


The cotton string I have gotten more life out of, but there was no trellis failure with the sisal twine. At the end of the season I cut down the whole mess of string and vine and compost everything.

I made a trellis for the first time this year. I ordered the nylon mesh from the SFG store. So far it is holding up well, even with three watermelons and four cantaloupes hanging from it! We'll see how it goes as the fruit gets bigger. I like camprn's netting...especially that it is compostable! I may try something like that, too.

Thanks for the info. I could not find that 7x7 netting at any local stores and wondered were Mel got the nylon netting he talked about in his book. Figured it would be available in one of those box stores but so far no luck.

Will try Tractor supply but if not good to know I can get it on this website.

Thanks

Floyd

The cotton netting on one of my trellises collapsed about 2 weeks ago. It was the one I had left out all winter. I, too, couldn't find any replacement netting at 2 nurseries or 1 box store. It's just too late in the season. So I ended up buying 300 feet of nylon marine string and making my own net.

It was actually pretty easy but took a looooong time, about 3 hours. Most of that included having to separate the 7-foot 'mater vines and 3-foot cuke vines from their jumbled mess on the ground. Weaving them through was a delicate task.

I think it turned out much better than what I would have found at the store, anyway. I was able to make each line very taught and super secure to the EMT frame. Since each line is separate, I'm thinking that one failure will not ruin the whole thing. And it was so much nicer to cut my own length to tie off instead of trying to use the dinky 1" ends they give you on those pre-fab nets! Those are so frustrating!

The real bonus, however, is that it's bright orange! It adds a nice color texture to all those green leaves.

And I think U R A genius, Camprn! I love that you just ran the string over and under and you used the old wood. I spent WAY too much time tying off 20 strings on each top and bottom for my peas this year. All that tying and I only got ONE pea in ONE pod.

I gave up on the nylon net as mine disintegrated also last year and the year before. (picture 8 squares of cucumbers all collapsed on top of each other and then trying to harvest them in the mess of vines). I now use concrete reinforcing mesh (can buy it at your local big box store in 4 x 8 panels for less than $. I cut them in half with bolt cutters and zip tied them to my trellis frames. Works like a dream. I had 75+ MPH winds this year and they didn't even move. They are a bit rusty in appearance but once they are covered with vines you can't tell!

I’ll drink to the concrete mesh idea. Over ten years ago I bought it by the 50 ft roll for tomato cages which are a dream to have. Since then several assorted trellis and different towers have been made. They do rust but none show any sign of weakening whatsoever and that rust just offers more iron for your vegetables to latch onto.

Now I am torn between nylon and steel mesh???? But I have a question regarding the length of the trelis to build. Mel talks about a 4 foot long span but in his book on page 162 he has a picture of an 8 foot long span. Check it out as it looks as if there is some type of support in the middle.

So the netting from this website does not hold up to well?

Floyd

If you look close, the trellis is two 4 footers next to each other. Overlapping, actually, is what I see.

I'm with westie. I happened to have on hand a bunch of concrete re-inforcing wire when I started, so that is what I have been using. It's very versatile: tomato cages, trellises of different sizes and shapes, fencing of different shapes and configurations, arches, etc.

Some folks swear by cattle or hog panels, but they are not quite as versatile because the wire is substantially heavier. And, I believe they are galvanized, if that is a consideration to you.

I"m using the nylon netting for the first time this year, 'just to see'. I don't have any comparative feedback on it yet.

floyd1440 wrote:Now I am torn between nylon and steel mesh????

1. But I have a question regarding the length of the trelis to build. Mel talks about a 4 foot long span but in his book on page 162 he has a picture of an 8 foot long span. Check it out as it looks as if there is some type of support in the middle.
2. So the netting from this website does not hold up to well?

Floyd

1. If you look closely at the trellis, there are actually two 4 ft trellises that overlap by about 6 inches.

2. NO ONE said the netting from SFG Foundation Store did not hold up.

Those whose netting did not hold up purchased it elswhere.

The one person who said they used SFG Foundation Store netting said it is holding up well even with heavy crops like watermelons and cantalope, but this is the first year of use.

I guess I am the only one using metal trellis......called Tomato Guard.....love it.....I still have some that I installed in 1990........just google Tomato Guard....and several companies will come up.....one surprise was Walmart ordered on their website and delivered to the closest one near customer.....to be picked up....

I have used the nylon.....for me it is too flimsy.....I use metal conduit and metal elbows....

4ft x 6ft like the book.......and attach it with zip ties..I guess they are called......

Order one and its enough for 2 trellises.......good luck......Ruth

Ok, it's time for pictures. I have the rebar-mesh. It came in perfect 4'x8' sections. I twist-tied it onto the EMT conduit frame. Nary an issue this year.

I have two 4x8's side by side and have 6 indeterminate tomatoes climbing them and 2 cucumbers completely taking everything else over.



Early season shot..





A little better shot of the whole setup....complete with daughter goofing around...





And, my most recent shot of the climbers. This was taken on August 4th..

1 Sorry if some fealings were hurt when asking about the nylon netting as I had read on previous posts that it fell down so I assumed all Nylon netting was the same.

2 I like the fact that the nylon netting is lighter and will look nicer.

3 Still looking for some suggestions for an 8 foot span. One idea is to use 1/2 PVC pipe with a 6 foot 1/2 rebarb inside the top 8 foot PVC pipe which should be sturdy enough. I wish I could find a conduit Tee.