What do you use to hold bird net or row covers?

[Joyfirst]

What do you use? I know willow branches would work, but I don't have access to them...

[rainbowgardener]

The square wire frames that political yard signs come on! Support your local candidate/issue and get free garden hoops in the bargain! I have tons of them!

[DoubleDogFarm]

I use these low rebar tunnels. They can be lifted and rolled over for ease of weeding - harvest.

[garden5]

PVC tubing works great as well. It's extremely flexible. One thing to do if you go this route is have a tube going across all the tops of the hoops. It makes them sturdier.

[Joyfirst]

It looks like I will have to buy stuff then. Thank you all.

[applestar]

Here's a trick that works to an extent. For the blueberries, I pound bamboo poles and branches in the ground, then put a 2L soda bottle on the top of each (so the and branch diameter needs to be small enough to fit the bottle opening). This creates smooth, non-snagging surface that WON'T POKE THROUGH THE NETTING.

The idea needs improving though. The bottom of the bottles are too smooth, and it's hard to manage the netting when you're doing it by yourself. Tying a string between the poles might be one idea, so the netting doesn't sag in between. For me, the biggest issue is that squirrels, rabbits, and groundHOGs bite through the netting, then the clever birds find the torn places and gorge on the berries.

I'm working on an alternative plan this year.

[rainbowgardener]

It looks like I will have to buy stuff then. Thank you all.

Lots of political campaigns give away the yard signs with the frames... probably not good timing for it right now unless you have a primary going on, but stock up in October! (to be fair you have to display the signs for awhile )

But Applestars was a non purchased alternative also

[applestar]

Yeah -- darn! Somebody came around yesterday with those things and I sent them away -- should've said "yes"

[DoubleDogFarm]

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

And the sign said anybody caught trespassin' would be shot on sight
So I jumped on the fence and-a yelled at the house,
"Hey! What gives you the right?"
"To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in"
"If God was here he'd tell you to your face, Man, you're some kinda sinner"


These political signs and realty signs should be illegal. What an Eye soar

[rainbowgardener]

Jeez... I'm not talking about billboards! The ones I'm talking about are little plastic signs for your yard that come on square wire frames, about maybe 3 feet high and 2 feet wide (the frame, the sign isn't that tall, but that's to have room to push the frame into the lawn). They don't block anybody's view of anything. They don't tell anybody to do anything, they just express my opinions, which I believe I am yet entitled to do in my own yard.

The wire frames are just about the same size as the wire hoops you can buy for the same purpose (holding row cover and netting)

[DoubleDogFarm]

rainbow,

I'm not talk billboards either. I'm talking about the 2 or 6 little sign plastered all over your lawn and house. When the election is over, who goes around and picks them up. Seems like no one. The wind is blowing them around. Do you think I will vote for Joe the plumber if you have a sign in your yard. Hardly

Feel free to erase.

[rainbowgardener]

It is my house and my lawn. The signs are plastic and I dispose of them, they don't go any where or bother any one, and then I use the frames for hoops to hold row cover and netting. I really fail to understand why you are making an issue of this. They don't block anyone's view of anything, they don't become litter, the frames are put to a good use, why is it a problem to you if I have a couple political yard signs in my lawn? You don't want any free garden hoops, don't take any!

[applestar]

RBG, i don't think he's talking about conscientious folks like you who "dispose" of the signs properly and re-purpose the frame for beneficial use. *My* pet peeve is those yard and garage sale signs that people don't bother to retrieve afterwards, but thats completely OT.

[gixxerific]

willow branches you say......

Just so happens I have 2 large willows in my backyard.......thinking.......thinking........

[tedln]

The 1/2" pvc pipe comes in 10' sections and costs about $1.39 per section at home depot. The wire to hold them all together with one across the top costs about $2.00 also at Home Depot. Just stick one end of the pipe in the ground, bend it over the row and stick the other end in the ground. The sections may be to long for your rows. Stick one in the ground, see how tall it makes the hoop. Cut the pvc shorter if you need the hoops lower. A hacksaw works great.

(I also wire a couple of ten foot sections to the sides of the hoops to make them really sturdy. Space them about three feet apart.)
Ted

[Joyfirst]

Gixxerific, I want your willow branches...Ted, I definately heard about PVC option, but I am not so fond of putting it in my garden, because of the chemicals in it. My whole garden is food.

[gixxerific]

Gixxerific, I want your willow branches...

No prob, just send a SASE, but make sure it is a really big envelope.