1st harvest of 2016...

[majorcatfish]

if you have room in your gardens... this is what is i have purchased for anything the needs to be poled...
http://www.amazon.com/Woodstream-ST...qid=1454788607&sr=1-51&keywords=sturdy+stakes

of course it's does need a little reinforcement every 10' , just use 1/2" conduit driven deeper. and black hawk twine from lowes every 2' from the top for the first 6'.
it has over the years dealt with thunderstorms winds without a problem. easy to put up and easy to take down and easy to store for the winter.....
the 4'and 5' are great in the gardens as well.

and the nice thing is if you a plant a companion along with it you can double your production in that same foot print, as long it has the same "ph and nutrient requirements....

 

[Smart Red]

How long have you used these, majorcatfish?

They look like something I've purchased and found the green plastic becomes brittle and cracks -- eventually peeling off -- and the inside metal rod (I'd thought/hoped was more like concrete re-bar) has been snapping after a few year use, often breaking when I try pushing them into the ground.

The first few years they certainly did do a good job of supporting (mostly my tomatoes) and took the wind and weather in stride.

I am still looking for something reliably sturdy and reusable for staking plants in the garden.

 

[bobm]

Red... I use "T" posts ... pound into the ground 2 or as many as you need for a row , square, or triangle, just far enough apart ( 5' apart if you use 6' posts ) to tie other "T" posts or 21' long rebar at least 1/2" (preferably wider and set the "T posts 5' apart or the rebar will sag too much ) along the top using baling wire or baling string. Easy to take down and lasts for many years.

 

[Smart Red]

Bobm, have you posted a photo in the past I can look at? Or could you post one? I am a visual learner, ya know.

 

[majorcatfish]

have some that are over 7+ years old, a little faded but still happy with them all

as for tomatoes, have always caged them with 2 pieces of 4' rebar pounded on each side down a foot and tied them together.
rebar is cheaper if you buy it in a 10' section and cut it yourself...

and yes did put u--stakes at either end for extra support on the bean trellis

even with thunderstorm winds never had a single cage budge

 

[Beekissed]

I use T posts and cattle panels for trellising...nigh indestructible. I just leave my tomato trellises in place, as I don't intend to rotate crops in this BTE. If fastened to the T posts right, I can elevate the panels to a 5+ ft. height. Anything growing taller than that can either get pinched off or draped along the top to continue growing. Zip ties be my friend...easy to apply, easy to cut if I want to remove the panels. Strong as wire.

I'll be doing that two crops in one place all over the garden, Major, but especially would like to do so on the pumpkin/bean trellis, which I intend to slant a little. That should provide a little shade for some lettuce and such underneath it.

 

[majorcatfish]

I use T posts and cattle panels for trellising...nigh indestructible. I just leave my tomato trellises in place, as I don't intend to rotate crops in this BTE. If fastened to the T posts right, I can elevate the panels to a 5+ ft. height. Anything growing taller than that can either get pinched off or draped along the top to continue growing. Zip ties be my friend...easy to apply, easy to cut if I want to remove the panels. Strong as wire.

I'll be doing that two crops in one place all over the garden, Major, but especially would like to do so on the pumpkin/bean trellis, which I intend to slant a little. That should provide a little shade for some lettuce and such underneath it.

really like your use of the 5' cattle panels just might do the same this year for the cucumbers

 

[Nyboy]

Red I learned here there is a special tool to pound metal poles into ground for fences

 

[majorcatfish]

yeah it's called a 4 lbs short handle sludge hammer.......

 

[Nyboy]

Thanks dont know tool names to well