trellises

[gardenhappy]

I would gladly pay you for a start also if you have enough.
If you would be willing to do this e-mail me at :
[e-mail]

[teachertorio]

Hi,

I'm new here so am just reading this thread.

I also used branches to make tripod-type trellises with great results. I ended up having to tie more branches on them as the summer went on. They've held up great and they look cool too.

For my tomatoes I used lattice like you put on porches, and hung that from my building wall. My vines are always LONG, so rather than deal with them being everywhere, I just tied them UP. Worked great, especially as that wall is white brick and just reflected heat/light.

Mary

[americangardener]

Mary.. welcome to the forumn..

I love that you made that offer of horse poo.. i just wish i was closer to where it was and i'd of been down there driving ya crazy every day loading up everything that i could find to carry it in.

Yeah, i'm finding that the tree branches are a little bit of a hassle for tomatoes when ya gotta keep cutting new ones every year or two at most. The older ones are making great teepees for pole beans though.. so at least i'm getting more use out of em.

I think i'm gonna try the bamboo everyone is talking bout. At least get some started for later on since i see they'll take a good couple years to start getting the long ones. But, if they're anything like the store bought ones that i have been using for years now.. they'll hold up better to rotting than the branches do.

Mar 26, 2007 21:07:46 GMT -5 houseodessey said:

I'll have to take a look tomorrow. I have seen it get 3" wide but that is probably the older growth. It certainly is strong, though. I'll let you know in the next couple of days and maybe try to post some pictures as well.

HO..
Don't know if these links will help ya identify your bamboo.. but, maybe.
www.jmbamboo.com/cold_hardy_bamboo.php
www.lewisbamboo.com/bamboo.html

I've decided i'm gonna give bamboo a try myself. Unfortunately it'll take a couple years before i can get a good stand of canes to use for the garden, but at least i got some to try out. I just got my bamboo Rhizomes in the mail yesterday. I ordered the Slender crookstem, giant timber, All gold, and one called Kwai chuk. And they sent a bunch of em. Was only supposed to get three rhizomes of each and they sent like five or six of each.

Now, as long as at least one of these is hardy enough for my michigan winters.. i'll be happy. I can't even imagine having alot of bamboo canes that'd be an inch or more thick and 20 ft or more long. Oh the possibilites!

[bunkie]

that does sound like a great deal on the fence johno!

can someone tell me what 'tobacco sticks' are? i can't get page 2 to load up...not sure if the answer is there...thanks!

[johno]

Tobacco sticks are what they use to hang and dry tobacco on... I think. I don't have any first hand knowledge of that business.

That cheapo fence is still serving this year, although it serves only as a trellis - doesn't keep out any critters. I had some other grand designs for trellising this year, but didn't accomplish many of them. I'd like to put cedar posts and beams all over the place, to all sorts of ends.

Bamboo from starts that houseoddysey and CFF sent me are growing. This year it seems they are mostly growing underground, getting established. One of them got mowed down first by my wife, then by a daughter... I caged it before the second daughter got her chance. But it is growing nonetheless, although its habit is low now - lol. So it looks like I'll have to wait a few years to get that first batch of bad-to-the-bone trellis material. After the first harvest, I expect I'll have more each year than I'll know what to do with! That gives me time to address the problem of containing it.