This will be my fist year doing a cattle panel arch trellis and was wondering if those of you that use them, plant on both sides of the trellis? Or do you play on one side and just let the one side grow over the entire trellis? Pic taken from online for attention. Thanks!!
by bmdangelo
21 Comments
I plant on both sides. 😄
Depends on the orientation of the panel. Mine’s North/South(ish), so I can really only grow one side with my warm season items just because tomatoes/beans/squash, etc. shade out the other side once they go up so tall. Something like peas, I do both sides.
If it’s east/west, no reason not to do both sides unless you don’t want to prune along the top. I find myself doing that anyways though just so I’m not having to stand on my tip toes to harvest.
Plant on both sides. Odds are it will be a while before most plants even meet in the middle, if they ever do, no need to waste the space.
Some varieties of gourd, pumpkin, and watermelon might be able to make it all the way across quickly enough to get crowded, but the risk is low, and it won’t be nearly as crowded as it would be growing on the ground, since you’ll have more airflow and less pest pressure.
Depends on what I’m growing. Some of my squash vines are long enough to take over the whole 16ft panel
I plant on both sides. Some plants such as pumpkins would totally be capable of growing long enough to reach the other side, but plants usually want to grop upwards, not down. So you would have to force the vines to grow that way.
So, what are you planning to grow on your arch? I have tomatoes on one side and 2 pumpkins on the other side.
Thanks everyone! Planning on using one for cucumbers and the other for pumpkins. They are oriented east/west so sounds like both sides is gonna be the way to go. Appreciate the inputs!
https://preview.redd.it/ocx5yd1qauqg1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee3d80ef6cc39b9f379c38a7b437d4add267466d
I grew 4 Hubbard squash plants, a cucumber, a bunch of peas and beans, and sweet pea flowers on mine just fine
Beans on both sides.
Plant on both ends of the arch, and I space my arch further away from the edge of the bed so I have space for another thing.
[space] [cattle panel end] [vining thing]
That space can be used for something that won’t be there the whole season (peas) and/or something that won’t mind being shaded by the thing growing on the trellis (lettuce, beets) later in the season. My panel is an east/west orientation though, so take that into consideration.
I was thinking of doing this same thing, but keeping it in the box (as opposed to one from the other.) Would it be better going from the middle of each box and have the arch go from one to the next? my boxes are 48 x 48, there are 6 of them 2’ apart, in 2 rows of 3
Add peas
I want to do this but I’m having trouble getting the cattle panel to my house. I ordered one for delivery only to be called and told that they don’t actually carry it. Then my local tractor supply does carry it but I would need to figure out how to get it home and I only have a Jeep renegade
Both sides. We even have plants in a planter at the top of one.
Not only both sides but both sides (inner and outer) of both sides. Some stuff likes a little more shade and some likes a little more sun.
I put pole beans on both sides and they meet in the middle so fast, and become a lush and leafy canopy after about a month to 6 weeks, if I didn’t take pics of the progress I would not believe how fast it happens. It grows so quickly and so lush we just have to keep trimming and cutting the vines that keep trying to grow towards the sky. The beans hang down and are easy to pick that way too. This pic is of the beginning of the process and doesn’t do justice to how full it gets
https://preview.redd.it/hpqpzm43juqg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b58dde08dc76548945b355ea30a2d6c3fbd84656
Both sides, and make sure you get cattle not hog. Hog panels ger very narrow toward one side.
https://preview.redd.it/ywa1koxqjuqg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91dd9aceddf8e4651f21387b9ec8ed8475e8f73a
Both sides!
https://preview.redd.it/3b8y80p9kuqg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aca10f6c66043307e6d60ebb84890052ca5a2cc1
Gf planted both sides last year, i personally feel like it became a tangled mess and too hard to maintain but it still bore fruit so 🤷♂️
Also, I had no idea how big cattle panel is. It isn’t fitting in a Subaru lol
My wife and I grow purple beans and rattlesnake beans on ours. Ours is North/South facing is very abundant.
https://preview.redd.it/saei9tgwkuqg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=811f78bd3f55f3992f6e99634d56697a05908d66
I plant on both ends and let things mingle across the top.