Eco Trick #10 Building Support & Trellis with Recycled Window Grilles

By urban farmer -

Background

Note: 
For this eco series, 90 to 95% of all the materials used are all recycled/up-cycled materials except when safety is concerned. Materials needed for building structure like beams, roof cover are acquired, all others are recycled/upcycled.
No part of writeup from this site can be reused in any way without written permission from the blog writer.

#IdeasOnWhatCanBeUsed #MatchingNeedsToWasteCollected



In all growing, support structures and trellis are typically needed especially when you are growing climbers. We do acquired some trellis for our melons but we wish to also recycle/build as many trellis as we can for those less demanding/sensitive crops.

We intend to grow some "almost perennial" crops like passionfruit, Huai Shan (Chinese or Japanese yam) and they all need some kind of support or trellis. 

We chanced upon some to be discarded window frame and grilles. Saw their potential. The owner is kind enough to gift them to us. As usual, we sat down and get our brain cells working to create something out of them.

Building Trellis For Passion Fruits

#BuiltToSustain #BuiltForEaseofUpKeep

Passionfruit from seeds typically started fruiting around 12 to 13 months. They need good support to climb onto to do well.



We built a support pillar using bedframe in the center in the picture above. Discard metal poles supported by containers filled with rocks and sand at both side. Two window frames are mounted onto the support structure to form the frame. The discarded bars are strong but unsightly. We hence decorate them with recycled water bottles.


We then tie/curl fishing lines around the empty frame to form the support lines for the passionfruit to climb. The advantages of doing it this way is that, should we wish to remove the vines when they aged, we can just cut the fishing lines horizontally along the frame and all growth can be easily remove. It is relative easy to re-setup the fishing lines too.

Simple Support for Planting Pipes

#RecyclingTakesEffort #RecycledGuttersForGrowing #WindowGrillesSupport



Huai Shan is a secondary crop that we grow. Meaning, is something we love to eat but do not want to spend too much time on growing it. 

We pickup some discarded metal bars again. Erect them up in big planting bags where we grow small shrubs like mulberry. Put two horizontal bamboo poles across the two erected bar. Hold up a netting for the vines to climb as shown in the picture above.



Huai Shan ( long Chinese and Japanese yam) loves loose media, dislike wet and is full of roots when ready to harvest. Half pipes place at a sloping angle work best for them. It keeps their feet/root dry and yet will be easy to pull up and harvest when they are ready. 

We therefore use the window grilles to pop up and support the half pipes ( in this case is our left over gutters) at one end and let the other end rest on the ground, forming a natural slope and perfect drainage as shown in picture above.


To minimise weeding effort, we cover the half pipes with recycled rice/pea sacks. Retaining moisture, preventing weed and yet breathable to the Huai Shan roots


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