Dateline: 10 April 2013
How to Make a Whizbang
T-Post Trellis Span
(click on pictures to see larger views)
T-Post Trellis Span
(click on pictures to see larger views)
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| This is a T-post trellis span of peas (Champion of England). The trellis netting is extruded polypropylene. Trellis height is 7'6" |
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| In this picture you can see the T-post with the 1" EMT trellis extensions (giving an extra 2' to the height). A Whizbang Y-holder is dropped into the top of each extension and a length of tree sapling makes a great top bar. |
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| Aren't peas lovely! |
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| Here's an early trellis span idea I had. No strings. No wire. No fencing. Just twigs. The top bar is held in place with wood Y-holders. It was fun to make but it didn't really provide adequate support for the peas—certainly not as good as netting. I think such a trellis would be better suited to pole beans. In the background (click picture to enlarge) you can see a trellis span with v-pattern strings. Again, it wasn't the best for supporting peas, but would have been just fine for pole beans. |
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| These are pole lima beans that I grew on a T-Post trellis span using polypropylene netting. |
My tomato trellis was so successful!! My friend, Julie, tried it too after I loaned her the Planet Whizbang Idea Book of Gardening, and her tomatoes grew very well on her wire. We both used cattle-panel on t-posts! Only I don't recommend 'making do'. I had six foot, heavy-duty t-posts that I drove into the ground a foot; seemed nice and sturdy. Nope!! Getting my plants all the air and sunshine they need by trellising made them very tall and robust; and heavy!!! Late in the season some of the trellis fell because I didn't follow directions to use 7 foot t-posts, driven into the ground 18" to hold huge plants steady. I highly recommend the trellis for all kinds of vegetables. This method of Herrick's is highly successful compared to tomato cages, or staking!! I will never go back to disorganization, but will live and learn (and follow his directions)!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth—
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive and instructive feedback on this idea!