BUILDING A 50' MELON TUNNEL!! - Maximizing Space In The Market Garden
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2021
- Not enough room in the Garden?! We are tackling that problem and Maximizing Space for our Melons and building a 50' Tunnel out of Cattle Panels!! This is the first video in a Series all about Maximizing Bed Space in the Garden. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE, Hit the LIKE button, and Comment below!
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Wow you did an excellent job!🌿
Thanks for the kind words! I can't wait until it's covered in Melons!!
Ok this is GENIUS! I've seen this done a billion different ways but this seems the most efficient and dual purpose using it as a winter tunnel!
Thank you! It works great 👍
I've debated just doing the entire garden in a series of these, as they are so versatile.
I've often thought the same thing!
I already did a cattle panel green house. Next year it will serve this function. Thank you for your ingenuity.
It works fantastic for the Melons👍
I appreciate this video. Thanks!
I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for watching 👍
Can't wait to see how this works out.
Me to!! Should be pretty cool🍉🍉
This tutorial was extremely helpful - I used it as the basis for creating a 21' tunnel we're going to use to grow pumpkins we're planting now for the fall. Thanks to watching your video a couple of times, I was able to put together my supply list, and my husband and I working together were able to get the tunnel up in about an hour and a half from taking measurements and driving t-posts, to setting up the cattle panels and cinching the zip ties. Thanks so much for sharing your process!
That is FANTASTIC!! So glad it was helpful! Keep us posted on your season and that Pumpkin Tunnel👍
Wow, 12 pieces of cattle panels? You’re crazy bro💪
🤣🤙👊
THAT IA AMAZING!!!
Thanks, it works great👍
Love this idea! What did you use to tie the cattle panels to the t-posts?
6 ft t posts? The cattle panel is about a foot behind the plant?
So 16’ panels arched 78” wide makes it how tall?
Do you feel putting the poles in the ground a little further would make it easier for poly to go on without poking it? I need to check if you have a video of it with poly I guess!
Watching this over again to see exactly how you did it. This was a great idea, I copied your design last year, but mine was only 25 ft long. I think I overcrowded my melons. Did you say you planted two rows per bed? How far apart did you space your rows from each other?
That's awesome! I do 2 rows staggered per bed for Melons. My 2 rows are 12"-15" apart in the bed, and I space my plants every 2'. Essentially giving you a plant every 12" running down the bed. I think that's fantastic that you are using it though!! Working out the adjustments is part of the process. Make sure you kind of train or weave the vines uo the trellis as they grow and that should also help with overcrowding. Good luck and please keep me posted👍
@@SimplisticFarms Thanks for the detailed explanation. I think your right, I think last year I didn't do a good job of training the vines up the trellis as soon as possible and they got overcrowded. Will definitely put your advice to work this year.
@@kell8334 I hope it helps!
Oooohhh so cool! I need to see the follow ups on this one. Any regrets or what would you do differently?
Nope, I love it! The only thing maybe, if it was going to be perminant I'd use a little shorter t-posts. I went with those so they could be used for multiple projects if needed.
What’s the orientation of your tunnel, E to W, or N to S?
That one is running N to S
@SimplisticFarms if I am understanding correctly, the melon plants are inside the arch not on the outside of it?
Correct. I plant them in the bed on the inside of the arch, then as they grow I train them up the arch on the outside, and they grow hanging down on the inside.
Definitely doing this how i know you said 50 inches apart how wide did you space your post?
Never mind i see 78 wide 😊
Right on👍
In the fall you said you cover the tunnel with plastic for fall planting. How do you put the plastic on with the steel post in the way?
That's a great question! I have 2 options i've used, they work for what it is. If possible I drive the post deeper(or use shorter posts) to about 12" and set the wiggle wire channel right at the top of the posts, and leave the poly a little long to overhang past the channel. Option 2 is putting the channel about 6" off the ground between the post and the cattle panel.
Have you tried the poly covering yet? If so, did you have any issues with the T-post puncturing the film? I’m curious if the T-post would work on the inside instead of the outside to possibly prevent punctures. Looks very nice! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks! I have, and I've come up with a couple work arounds. Yeah, you definitely don't want the poly pulled tight over the posts. If I planned on it being permanant, I'd use shorter posts, and put the wiggle wire channel right on top of the posts. I've also just put the channel low between the panels and the t post and that works fine to.
Great idea, how thick was the panel. I wouldn’t want it to be too thin otherwise it would collapse
It's the standard 16' Cattle panel from Tractor Supply.
Cool. Seems like shorter T posts wouldn't stick up and would be less prone to puncturing plastic over top. Can you tell us how far up the cattle panels are in contact with the posts before they start to arch away? How short of a T post could we use?
Yep, after shooting the vid, I actually drove them down a bit further. You could certainly use shorter t-posts if desired. I like the thought of being able to re-use them for another project down the road and may need the length, so I went with longer and just drove them down further. It works in my soil and context, it may not in clay or rocky ground.
@@SimplisticFarms Thanks. Any idea how short would be OK? I do have harder soil... About how high do the panels stay straight before arching in? Or how long are the T posts you used?
Looks great! Just wondering how wide is your tunnel at the bottom?
It covers 2- 30" beds with an 18" pathway down the middle. So it's 78" wide at the bottom.
@@SimplisticFarms Thank you for the speedy reply; I’m planning for a tunnel next year.
@@beufordjustice4949 I really like mine, it's quite versatile for just about any climbing veggies 👍
I made a cattle panel trellis tunnel a few years ago. I raised the panel off the ground at least 12-18 inches so that I have access under the panels to help control weeds. I have read that watermelon should not be grown near other melons. Do you not worry about cross pollination? Seeds will be affected.
That's not a bad idea. Weeds haven't really been an issues under it as they are right on the edge of the pathway. I've heard that as well about melons, but honestly it didn't affect them at all. And if I do cross pollinate, sometimes that's a bonus😅 Welcome to the channel 👍
@@SimplisticFarms I like your channel. Planting my seedlings now here in NW PA. June is first month able to plant in zone 5b. We are the snowbelt in PA!😜✌️🕊️🦋
@@wildheart5086 yes we are! My location in West Michigan is also in 5b, I can completely relate. I'm still planting a few things out myself🤪Here's to good season here in the north!!👍🤙
so width between t post is 6.5 feet ?
No, width between post running down the bed is 50". Good question though
ok let me make sure I understand, the width from of the frame(across) of each post is 50 and the separation on a single side is 50 too, thanks for the reply
@@SimplisticFarms
@@miketalley1666 no worries. The with across covers 2- 30" beds and an 18" pathways. So yes, inside the tunnel, with is 78". The post running lengh ways down the beds are spaced 50", so you have 1 post per cattle panel running down the outside of the bed. I hope that helps brother👍
thanks@@SimplisticFarms
If I heard you correctly, the panel ends after being curved into place, make a 30" wide tunnel. It just really looks wider. So 30"???
Nope, it makes 2 - 30" beds with an 18" walkway down the middle. So all together it's 78" wide and 48' long tunnel. I love it, all of my beds are 30" wide so it fits perfect over 2 beds and a walkway.👍
What is the post you are using to push the t-post down?
It's an old t-post driver. Basically a heavy steel pipe with a welded cap on one end. It slides over the t-post and allows you to drive the post down. Works good 👍
@@SimplisticFarms thank you! Love your videos. Great ideas and educational
@@user-zw7mh6iv8p Thank you!! So glad you enjoy them, many more to come. Welcome to the Channel!
I've seen tons of tunnels and EVEYONE uses the 6ft T Post. Is there a particular reason for this? They only seem to be there to make the shape of the cattle panels, and they only are touching the first few feet of the post, 3 ft of the post is doing nothing that I can tell. So, I guess the question is, why use a 6 ft T Post when a 3 ft U Post seems to do the exact same job for half the price??
You are absolutely correct. The reason I go with 6ft is because I use them for multiple types of trellis depending on the space and crop. Long story short, that's what I already had.