In addition to using cattle panels to trellis our beans we made two arches with them. The larger arch is made from two panels slightly overlapped. The smaller arch is made from a single panel.
The panels were easier to bend than I thought they would be. Thankfully Miss Cindy was here to add an extra set of hands when we installed them.
We held the panel in place on each side until The Deer Hunter attached them to a t-post he put in the ground.
I’m in love with the arches! I planted cucumbers on one portion and am hoping they will take off up the arch as they began to grow and produce.
In another section we planted Chinese Okra seed gifted to us by Blind Pig and The Acorn reader Bill Burnett. We also planted a few Minnesota Midget Melons on one.
On the smaller arch we planted a new type of spinach. I’ll tell you more about it later in the week.
Tipper
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13 Comments
Sue McIntyre
May 19, 2020 at 6:03 pmKershaw melons (cushaw squash) climb well. When my son was younger, he had everyone on his schoolbus convinced his “Pops” had a watermelon tree. The stray Kershaw had climbed a tree and bore its fruit 4 feet from the ground. LOL Continue to have fun reguardless!
Susanna Holstein
May 19, 2020 at 5:13 pmLooks great! We might have to give that a try.
Ed Ammons
May 19, 2020 at 4:05 pmThat looks interesting! I’m going to train my beans and cucumbers on the garden fence. That way I’ll only have to pick half of them. I’ll get inside and the deer will take care of the outside.
betty stephenson
May 19, 2020 at 2:00 pmgood morning from new zealnd great idea mightbe able to adapt something here thanks for the tip have a great week
Ken Roper
May 19, 2020 at 1:12 pmTipper,
Back when George W. Bush was President, I never even thought about the Cattle Panels. I streched wire across my garden in 3 separate rows, about 80 feet long, and I ran string on top and on bottom for my White Runners. The folks at the Airport came by my shop in a couple of days and said they saw the “W’ s from the air and wondered if I was a George ‘W” supporter. I never answered.
I streched Seagrass rope on top and bottom and tied it to the adjoining Stakes. It came in about a half-mile roll for about 9 bucks and would last 2 years. There’s a lot of bending up and down to make the “W” s, but when I got thru, it was worth it. You should have seen me and Jesse Allen on Step Ladders when it came time to pick. …Ken
gayle larson
May 19, 2020 at 9:09 amLooks like a success to me. Can’t wait to see how they work for you.
Shirl
May 19, 2020 at 9:00 amYou are going to love the convenience of standing under the panels and picking your vegetables. The beans won’t even touch the ground and that means none will rot or have bug and bunny bites. More beans and less backache will make you and your family glad you tried them.
Bill Burnett
May 19, 2020 at 8:57 amMake sure to cut the Chinese Okra when is 6 to 8 inches except any you plan to save for seed. Once it starts growing it will surprise you how fast it grows. You can Google “Chinese Okra” for several recipes. Good luck.
Ron Stephens
May 19, 2020 at 8:10 amThose arches look so good. I think you all are really going to like them. You may find yourself wanting a bench under a vine bower.
Your post is timely for me. I am thinking of doing an arch over my walk. I was wondering about bending the 4-gage wire. I figured it was close to the limits of bending by hand. Too bad there isn’t a black or a green version.
Colleen Holmes
May 19, 2020 at 7:16 amGood morning. You’ll need a drywall bucket to pick beans or cucumbers, possibly a ladder.
We used one panel and I struggle to get the top ones. Have a fun time with these
Happy day to y’all.
Miss Cindy
May 19, 2020 at 6:49 amI think those cattle panels are the greatest thing since peanut butter. Just think about how many times you will NOT have to bend over to pick your garden bounty! I’m interested in hearing more about the new spinach. You and I share a love for spinach and watermelons. I am sure, however that the watermelons will not be growing on a trellis. They would be a little too heavy for climbing.
am excited about seeing how everything grows and climbs!
Tmc
May 19, 2020 at 9:55 amJust putting the final touches on our cattle panel green/hoop house got an extra panel thinking of planting extra cucumbers on that one as well.
Carol Roy
May 19, 2020 at 6:05 amHi Tipper….this looks fantastic and no doubt will work great….Happy Gardening!