How to make support structures for vegies

Tino shares three of his favourite methods for keeping vegies off the ground.

In the space that would normally be taken up by just one pumpkin sprawling across the ground, Tino creates room to grow three crops by using the vertical space. The structures also increase the airflow around the plants, producing healthier crops that are out of reach of ground-based pests and less prone to disease.


Pumpkin lean-to:
Keeping pumpkin vines on a support frees up ground space for other crops, and is especially good for smaller-fruiting crops such as spaghetti squash.

Cucurbits like good drainage so cultivate the soil into raised mounds.
He uses bamboo grown at the Patch for the structure because it’s strong, lightweight – and free!
Tie 3m-long stakes together in each raised mound placed at an angle because these vines are leaners rather than climbers.
Tie together two more stakes about 3m away to form the end, plus another set in the middle, then tie horizontal rungs between them, about 50cm apart.
Using a hitch knot, secure the uprights, lashing on the horizontals, and finishing with a shoelace knot so that they can easily be undone at the end of the season.


Bean sandwich:
Tino is planting scarlet runner beans, otherwise known as the perennial or seven-year bean, and they need a good, sturdy support. The structure needs to survive several years.

Place two hardwood stakes so that they sit just inside either end of a sheet of concrete reinforcing wire.
Use two more stakes abutting the first set, so the wire is held between them, and knock the four stakes firmly into place.
Lash each pair of stakes together with twine to keep the frame solid.
For smaller bean varieties a single frame is enough, but for more vigorous types it helps to erect a second frame about 10-15cm away, creating a bean sandwich as the plants climb up the space in between. This means they won’t fall over and the beans can be easily picked from the outside.


Ring of wire:
One of the simplest, most effective support structures is a cylinder of wire mesh.

Construct the cylinder by cutting a 1m length of square-mesh wire and tie it off onto itself, creating a tube.
For lighter crops, they can be dug slightly into the ground and are fairly self-supporting.
For heavier crops, add extra support by tying them to a hardwood stake.
Mesh cylinders can be used for climbing peas, annual beans or even tomatoes.
When the plants die off in the winter, simply lift off the cylinder and store it away until next season.

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