[Pil-pc-oceania] Question for Jedd (Was: Jerusalem artichokes)

[jedd]

On Sat, 9 Jun 2007, Mike Morris wrote:
> Just wondering what those hoops over the beds are made from?  I have a
> longstanding need for something similar (though would prefer something
> mobile) and am always looking for (cheap! ;-) ideas.

 Mike - very easily constructed things.  I use steel posts / star
 pickets / tri-stars (call them what you will) banged into the ground,
 and then thread 2" poly pipe over the top of them.  I'd use 50mm
 polypipe but for the fact that the proverbial 'they' buggered up the
 metric black poly system IMHO.

 Anyhoo, yeah, it comes in at around $A16 for the tri-stars, and
 about the same again for the polypipe - so not stupidly cheap,
 but one of the cheaper options given no bolts, drilling, or
 welding is required.  If you've got a steel post remover then it's
 fairly portable.  Black poly should have a lengthy life even when
 exposed to UV / IR.

 Are you thinking about covering with shadecloth .. ?  The only problem
 I have with those is that the ends pull in.  I've considered some
 light-weight joists - perhaps those V-shaped batton things you use
 for steel roofs - but haven't experimented much yet.  If you can
 tether the ends (45 degrees down to the ground, say) or rigid ends,
 then running fencing wire along the things should be sufficient to
 give a good trellis for either shadecloth and/or annual vines.

 Jedd.