It's the end of the garden season for 2018. I thought I'd post some season-end notes about the outcome of my trellis idea.
I decided to buy a 7 foot by 14 foot panel of Ross Deer Netting with 2" mesh holes. Before I drove the 6 foot cattle fence post stakes in the ground, I unrolled 3 mil black plastic to cover the row for weed control, and retain moisture. I then drove the stakes and strung heavier gauge wire from the tops of the stakes. I draped the net over the heavier gauge wire. Before I planted the seeds I cut 4 foot x 2" sections out of the plastic (directly in line with the net) so the seeds would sprout close to the net and climb. I weighted the plastic, the wind this spring was fierce, with bricks.
I grew sections of different vines (Spanish Flag, Black-Eyed Susan Vines, sweet pea, Malabar spinach, sugar snap peas, cucumber, goose neck gourds, butternut winter squash, Cinderella pumpkins, & pie pumpkins) on the netting and they all wrapped themselves into the net nicely. The vines filled in to create a solid wall of leaves & blooms. The goal was to keep the vines/vegetables off the ground. I have to say, this net is tough! I could not rip it with brute hand strength. Even the bigger pumpkins hung like feather weights on that netting. It could be used year after year EXCEPT all those vines had to be cleaned off. After an hour of trying that I decided I'd spend the $14 and just buy more net next year ! I trimmed all the vines I could off the net, and stuffed the used net in garbage bags for the trash pick up.
Upside: the deer who usually wander nightly through my garden appeared to walk the long way around my garden this year, unsure what that netting was. Downside: I had to do dragonfly patrol every evening. Those guys got tangled easily, but held still while I cut them loose. Not a problem after the vines covered the net.
