My plans for this morning were to let the chickens free range for a bit while I weeded the raspberry patch. But one thing led to another and I soon found myself working on a new garden bed for my 2013 garden.
Sometimes I feel like I have major issues with staying on task.
I did manage to get the raspberry patch weeded, but then started to notice the sagging green stakes holding up the vines. I suppose if I am going to make this look like a real garden, I should figure out how to install a proper raspberry fence before the raspberries start leafing out next spring. Have you ever done this? I wonder if I could do it myself? Hmmm.
Anyway, take a look at this. Impressive huh? Ha! Okay, so here is what I am thinking, see the mound of dirt I have pushed up against the fence? The mound is about 18″ wide by 30 feet long. I’m thinking I could plant at least 10 squash plants along the fence, and have the vines sprawl out towards the raspberry patch {to the left} and down the hill {upper left}.
Instead of planting the squash randomly, I could have more of a controlled growing pattern and also save on water by only having to water along the fence {instead of a large area}.
What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? Mavis go back inside and bake some cookies, you won’t be planting squash for another 7 months you crazy person?
Oh, and look at this. Free moss for my next garden basket. Oh Happy Day!
Peace out Girls Scouts, I’m off to bake a pie.
~Mavis
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Kristina says
my 2 cents worth…. I would pull the dirt away from the fence a little ways. dirt + water = rotten fence
Donna says
Looks good.You’ve already grown a ton of food this year! I think you’re a natural!
Susan says
wrt the rasberry fence, my local garden store guru told me about using pvc as the stakes and using multiple connectors to create fencing. it can be reused season after season and configured in any sizes/dementions you choose. it’s been my ‘go-to’ for staking tomatoes, building a fence to allow beans/peas to climb, and creating barriers for animals. just throw netting or fasten wire through holes, and use connectors to refashion to whatever shape you need. the plastic is a bummer, but it’s totally reusable.
Lisa says
Do be careful if you use PVC for raspberries though. The vines can be rather heavy and if the PVC sections are too long you’ll have the same sagging issue. Also, if you use PVC in an outdoor application make sure you purchase the grey UV resistant stuff and not the plain ol’ white stuff. Over time the white stuff will become brittle and break.
Here’s a link to the raspberry supports I built 3 years ago. http://www.sproutingoff.com/weekend-project-raspberry-supports/
Mavis says
Lisa when do you place your order for baby chicks?
Sara says
Lisa’s plan is basically what we do for raspberries and it works well. We used Tposts instead and if you drive them ato the point that the plate at the bottom is buried you shouldn’t have them tipping so badly.
Mary Ann says
I agree about pulling the dirt away from the wood fence or it will rot. Other than that, looks like a great addition to the garden space!
The moss is gorgeous! I’m so jealous. I really need to move out of Southern California if I ever want to live in real beauty.
Mrs. Hillbilly says
Your fence might rot with all the dirt pushed up against it.
Connie says
Yep, definitely pull the dirt away from the fence and get a little air under there. It will do the plants good too since they can also rot without enough air movement. I used 2 inch square welded wire garden fencing (4 ft. tall) between metal fence posts to grow beans, then I started putting cukes on them, they did well, so I planted canteloupe, then squash. The fence didn’t sag but I did have the ends braced. You could put the fencing up against the fence, nailing it in place to plant your squash. Yes, good idea to plant there cuz you won’t have to water so much area. It’ll run down the fence and give you better use of water too.
Roo says
Have you thought about growing the squash UP instead of across the ground? I’ve grown cukes, summer squash and zucchini this way in pots on my porch when I was in an apartment. Now, granted, I didn’t have the best light and the plants were not all OMG HUGE or anything, but I have seen a lot of other people make sturdy sort of tent-shaped lattice? I dunno If that makes any sense. But if it’s a space issue, it might be worth a shot.
Cindy says
I grew butternut squash on accident once year. Actually my dog did, we decorated butternut sqashes for Halloween one year, the dog got into them, the next year we had vines growing in our backyard. Anyway, I let them do their thing and the vines climbed up our wooden fence and we had huge butternut squashes – I didn’t realize they were growing in the neighbors yard on the other side of our fence until our neighbor pointed it out to me. They were OMG huge!
Celia says
Mavis, have you ever given aquaponics any thought?
Mavis says
Nope. 🙂
Lorelei says
5 years later, I’ve Googled “raspberries and squash planting” and your blog came up . . . So, how did it turn out?