vertical gardening structures

Floyd, I'm sorry I didn't see this, but Boffer has given you a great link. I would be glad to help, but Boffer is so much more knowledgeable than I am. Ask if you have questions! I can't wait to see your garden!

Check this out I think you will like it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l002A9Uoqp8 I think it would be great anywhere you want to grow watermelons and need to shade crops too. Perfect for SFG!

Shannon, that was a great video, and very timely for me since it's time to plant watermelon. My kids have asked and asked for watermelon, and I think I can work this one out. Thanks for sharing!

shannon1 wrote:Check this out I think you will like it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l002A9Uoqp8 I think it would be great anywhere you want to grow watermelons and need to shade crops too. Perfect for SFG!

Very cool! I really want to do this, but I already have this year completely planned, so I'll just have to try it next year.

Here's another example of growing melons on trellises...

(Rats! My link won't post because I'm too new to the forum. If you go to YouTube and look up "growingyourgreens" and then search for his video called "Growing melons vertically on a trellis", you'll see what he's done.)

This guy is hilarious. I think maybe he's growing something a little "special" for his own personal consumption, but he's knowledgeable and creative... Listening to him makes me think of Cheech and Chong of years ago...

Hope this works

Just looking at that last photo... some interesting spacing on the "squares". I wonder what the plans are for planting this one?

I was attempting to post a picture..and it works!!! Thanks to everyone.

This weekend I will have my squares defined with wooden slats which will help me plan as I used string last year and you see some pieces of it left. But in my defense I started mid summer last year and put off making my squares till this year.

But what are your thoughts on the PVC trellis frame? It has 6 foot 1/2" rebar for the vertical legs and a 6 foot piece on the top horizontal piece.

Watched several of the youtube videos and they were very helpful! Its great to see a young person being so into vegetable gardening, esp SFG! He has a great garden!

I think it will be fine if there is rebar at the bottom. One thing about pvc vs the electical conduit is that the conduit will last longer without breaking down (or breaking). However, the pvc is a good alternative in the beginning to save on cost.
What is the meshwork made of?

I'm planning on going the pvc route as well.. Just to see how my first SFG goes.. Maybe afterwards I may make one a bit more sturdy...



I plan to use jute twine for my trellis work, just not sure what would be the best spacing for it yet...

Most people say to space the squares large enough for you to reach through if needed, so 3-4" or so?

I'm so glad this thread exists! GWN, I love your old hoop house.
OFT: 1) What do you use these little hoop houses for? Is this where you apply shade cloth?

BTT:
2) Cattle panels: do they always come with the frame? At Home Depot I've found some 4 or 5" grid wire panels, no frame (about $8 ). Is that the same thing? The don't look very bendable.

3) I really need help wth this. My box is 10' long, 2' wide (12" deep). The trellis needs to run in the middle box...intending to shade things during our July & Aug heat.

I understand using the rebar to anchor the ends; using conduit for the height and the crossbar; using T joints or 90* angles. I have one package of nylon net (they only had one in Feb at the HD). I figure I'll need two.

Can I make the crossbar 10' across? Do I need to make the crossbar shorter or put a support midway? If I do need a mid-support...is it as simple as another piece of rebar in the middle of the garden and a T joint?

My sig has link to my garden plans. You can see how the boxes are laid out. The box will have alternate squares of pole beans and tomatoes for 6 squares on the east side and bell peppers and herbs for 4 boxes on the west (support not really needed). I don't mind having the trellis the entire length, because I can grow peas and other climbers in the winter and spring.

Cattle panels do not come with a frame, my DH takes a dado blade to a 2x4 and makes a groove for the panel.
They are 1/4 inch metal and technically do not need a frame, they stand quite well on their own.
What I am doing with my hoop houses is to plant things that otherwise could not be planted in the ground, I have planted in my hoop house, so that when the weather gets warms I just remove the plastic, or gradually roll up the edges on warm days and eventually remove the plastic completely.
My plans are a combination of Eliot Colemans books (the winter gardens), SFG, for the soil and some searching online where I found out about cattle panels.
We bought several of them, they are usually found at Farm supply stores, and are usually sold in 16 feet by 4 feet sections
They will usually cut them for you down to the size you want.

I have used 4x4 sections just straight up for small trellises for peas etc.

I love this idea...0:18 into the video.

Galvanized fencing 54" wide, 16' long is $29 at the Depot...I can make it longer or shorter as I need...simple anchors into the dirt (I don't want to run aground of 10' limit rules for the community garden).

I'm not growing fruit now, so cross beams aren't necessary. Just help to get the plants up to the fence.

It would have to be cut to fit my box width and the edges bent...how do you finish a cut so it doesn't cut you? Bend it around? Coat it or cap it with something?

My FIL gave me one of his green galv tomato cages years ago, cut to size. It (and the roses) cut me up so bad people asked me if I was a battered wife!

Nope...just a gardner! Want some tomatoes?

WOW
you have it at the depot, in Oregon they did not have it at home depot, we had to go to the farming places and here in Canada we have to order them specially.
There are special cutters for them, that unless you need them for something else, I would get them to cut them.

I have been trying to figure out a good way to protect myself from the cut ends, (and to protect the plastic from the cut ends)
They are not as sharp as most cut fencing but they are still sharp, I have a big cut on my thumb right now as it is very windy here and I had to go out and tie down the plastic again today.
My hoop house is just a bit over 6 feet high with the 16 foot cattle panel bent over, I also bend the the other way for long low row covers
I just bend the 16x4 foot cattle panels the other way and they become just a low cover for a long raised bed, which I have put spinach in now.


so you can see the ones bent to be tall and in the distance the ones bent to be long

GWN...how do you anchor the 2x4s to your box? Tuck them inside? Times like this I regret having narrow boxes!

BTW...by "the Depot" I mean Home Depot. Here it is (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100319448/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=galvanized fence panel&storeId=10051&superSkuId=202939020)
...Behlen Fencing.

Sorry...can't get the hot link to work!

Those are not the ones that I bought, those are much more expensive and would not be able to be bent, at least if I am looking at the right fence.

The ones I am talking about do not have any sort of metal frame.
My beds are 3 feet wide, well just 2 inches short of that and we bend them over on the outside and then hammer in a 2x2 to hold them there

GWN...how do you anchor the 2x4s to your box? Tuck them inside? Times like this I regret having narrow boxes!

Not sure what you mean by the 2x4s....... we bend the 16 foot cattle panels over and we were unable to tuck them in so attached them to the outside.
Once bent, they actually hold their shape pretty well and so at least the long ones, we just pick up and move them around.

This is not a great picture, but you can see a pile of the panels in the foreground and the panel bent LENGTHWISE is on top of the pile, we just flip it over and place it on top of the 11x3 foot bed


It is funny but THIS picture shows how we anchored them.... to the next bed over, and south is to the right of the right bed.
VERY rudimentary, we were living in an RV building a house...
So the beds do NOT have to be wide, we just attached them to something else

avagardener
I FOUND a better shot that shows the lengthwize panels

There is a pile of the cattle panels on the right (we are going to fence our yard with them) but you can see the ones we have bent lengthwize.
I used brown wine bottles as my solar heaters...

cattle panels are great, so many different uses. but i have had trouble with sharp ends after cutting on them too. there is a product, sort of like liquid plastic, marketed to dip tool handles in. it gives them a protective coating and makes for a firmer grip. you can use it to daub on the sharp ends and it will smooth them over. you can look for it at lowes and home depot, it has been a few years since i bought any so don't know if they still carry it.

That's awesome minervalong! I have a diabetic husband and worry about him cutting himself especially on his hands...

Is it something like this?
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202196703/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=plasti%20dip&storeId=10051

great idea, one could also melt wax.... ?? no guess that would not work... I am going to try to find that stuff, my big issue with it is that the plastic catches on the sharp ends and you end up with holes in the plastic

yep UTBW, that's the stuff. easy to use, just daub a bit on the cut ends with a plastic spoon. you can use it to cover fitting seams to keep corrosion down, dip scissor or trowel handle in to make them more visible, etc. pretty handy stuff really.