Gary Heston wrote:
In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:
Lou wrote in reply:
In essence, the foliage will form a shell, with an airspace between.

That's going to have to be a pretty hefty shell, just to be
freestanding
all the way around. Are you planning on a wood structure, or steel
pipe
and I-beams?

Ferrocement catenary tubes for the roof top
http://karen.top.net.nz/echo/Default.htm

How big is this going to be?

Vaulted arch on 28' x 28' footprint, height hasn't been decided

Any suggestions on minimum / maximum spacing between a wall and a
trellis?

I'd allow at least four feet, both for ease of access during harvest
and pruning and to minimize the likelyhood of creepers bridging the
gap.



Use trees with tap roots--like pecans. When planting, dig a hole as
deep
as you can with a posthole digger (rent a power augur if doing more
than
a few holes; much less work, and you can go deeper). Dump a pound or
two
of fertilizer into the holes, then add 10-15 gallons of water (I just
fill the hole a couple of times). Break up some of the clay from the
holes, mix with some peat moss, compost, topsoil, and a bit of plant
food; use this to backfill the hole and surround the tree roots when
you
plant the tree. Save a bit of the mix for filling in around the
trees,
as the mix will settle. Use the leftover clay for landscaping.

This approach gives the tree a good environment to start growing, an
easy path for the tap root to follow, and a great boost at the bottom
to really anchor it.

And, using pecans also means a crop to gather in late fall. Pecans
should be planted at least 40' apart.