GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

22-08-2004, 06:59 AM

writes:

Good to hear that the Sweet Millions did well in the ground though. The
only cherry I have out there is a Sungold which is trying to take over the
entire garden. Very prolific and very sweet. I definitely want to plant
it
again next year but I'll have to reconsider my lay-out since it takes up a
ton of space (I only have a 15 sqft plot,unfortunately).

Last year, I put a cattle panel up beside several of my tomato plants
which worked very well. I supported it in two places with metal fence
posts. This year, I had made a sort of hoop house of one and was not at
all happy with it so removed the plastic. I left it in place and planted
my Sun Golds and other cherry-type tomato plants at each corner. It is
working wonderfully. If it were a normal year, I'd have a completely
covered tomato arbor at this point.

FYI, a cattle panel is 16 feet long, four feet high, with 8-inch mesh.
Because it is designed to keep large farm animals where they belonged, it
is heavy duty. Unlike rebar, it does not rust as it is a fence. In our
area, the panels sell for just under $20. They will last indefinitely.

If I had the intestinal fortitude and strong hands and heavy duty
lineman's cutters, I'd made some great cages of the panels. Even cut to
place as four-feet long pieces shaped to a right angle would work well and
stack very well in the off season. Supports could be eight feet tall
getting two from each panel if one wanted them that tall (or three 6-ft
cages). Of course, the tomatoes would need additional training with only
two sides. Metal electrical conduit cut to the appropriate height would
work well as a stabilizer (stake).

This year, where I had the tomato plants on the cattle panel last year, I
have cucumbers with the pepper plants between the cucumbers and the
walkway. Many of you have also had a bumper year of cucumbers so can
imagine how well this has worked for those.

I had planned to have one on one side of the garden for raspberry vines
but didn't get it done this year, but it should work well for those as
well.

This year has definitely not been my best tomato year though I must admit
I've had no bad tomato years, just late ripening this year as everyone
else seems to have had.

Those Sun Golds are definitely keepers . . . and plant-againers. :-)

Glenna