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Thinking caps on please!
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Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 2:15 pm Post subject: Thinking caps on please!

Right I have a problem when growing anything that needs support i.e tomatoes,peppers when I put a cane in my youngest who has special needs and an obsession with 'helping' me in the garden

trails along behind me pulling them all out..I need to find a better way of supporting stuff and have been racking my rather empty brain to come up with a solution.I'd welcome any suggestions for permanent fixtures or ones I can move I know there are some clever people on here so get thinking for me please!!

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 3:17 pm Post subject:
Do you have a wooden fence you could grow them near/against, then you could use some sort of staples and string/wire arrangement?

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28234
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: Thinking caps on please!

Deedee wrote:

Right I have a problem when growing anything that needs support i.e tomatoes,peppers when I put a cane in my youngest who has special needs and an obsession with 'helping' me in the garden

Maybe put the cane to alternative use

THough that is apparently illegal from today

All I can really think of is really hammering a good length of cane/pole in, so that they cannot be pulled out by little hands.

jema

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 4:21 pm Post subject:

what about one of those circular thingys that holds 6 or 7 canes in a wigwam shape. I got a plastic one for about �2.99 from the Garden Centre. If you then tied the canes to it would that be harder to yank out?

If the canes were a different colour so that they blended in to the plant more would that help so they are less obvious.

Other thing might be to grow more dwarf type things like french beans that don't need support.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 4:42 pm Post subject:

What about using pea sticks, so they looked a bit more plant like - maybe he thinks they're getting in the way of your plants! Or other stuff (My mum grew beans up old bedsteads and iron gates once) Might be heavy to put in, but once their in, littlun won't be pulling them out in a hurry.

My advice would be to go Sarah D's tip! Thye're bound to have something or get those some of those spirally things they sell in garden centres as plant supports

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 4:47 pm Post subject:

What about creating a permanent or semi-permanent frame with timber uprights and then horizontals, as you would for a fence, and using strings going vertically tied top & bottom? I can't think of a better way to describe it! Or else, rather than vertical string, how about stock-proof netting, this time tied to the uprights? We grow cucumbers this way and it works well. With the netting you only need the timber uprights, not horizontals.

Good luck, and let us all know what works for you!

Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 6:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much for all your great suggestions! The peasticks he adores

cos he can pull them out quicker so I normally use the full size canes..I like the idea of a permanent structure though as I have a space for it and using string/netting or wire would deter him maybe..I also have a bit of fence spare behind my currants.The wigwam thing works nicely on my side bed as he cant get up there although he did try when I first put it in along with his indian headress ready to sit inside

Maybe I should just get Jema in to 'gardentrain' him for me !!

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sat Jan 15, 05 7:20 pm Post subject:

I was thinking about something along the lines of Mochyn's idea...like you use for raspberries and blackberries etc. The stakes are more expensive than canes but they should last for years - and if he can pull those out it'll be impressive.

I suppose there might be a problem with rotating your crops but if you have space enough for them, you might still manage that.

Ooh, ooh, something else I've seen is called a tomato ladder. Now, it sounds to me like a bit of a con

, as they look very like clothes horses to me. You might easily be able to track down second hand clothes horses or something of a similar build, which would be sturdy enough freestanding or against a wall, to support the plants.

If all else fails, grow smaller peppers and "hanging basket" tomatoes

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 05 12:16 pm Post subject:

I plan to grow a few things up netting this year, but have heard that it is difficult to get the stuff off it after, so you can reuse it. Is it better to ues metal netting and burn off the debris? I don't want to use single use plastic jobs, and I have difficulty finding pea sticks (feel a bit guitly nicking them from the woods, as I met the owner whilst out blackberrying, and he was really nice, and said it was good to see them going to a good home. I'd take him some jam if I knew where he lived!)

I don't how old you child is, or what kind of special needs they have, so forgive me if I'm under/overestimating, but if you have plently of space you could either build a walled garden and put the gate bolt high up (or a fenced one, but it's not the same!) or maybe try and get him more involved in the garden (even if it's not the veg garden) The indian game sounds perfect for building a willow wigwam with him (although it might make it worse if he's going to sit in your veg!) Othersiwe I'd be inclined to go for the permant option

DarrenG

Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Lincolnshire Fens

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 05 12:26 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

we grow great amounts of sweatpeas along some of our stock fencing just to make it look pretty, btw chrysanth growers all use stock netting

Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 05 12:42 pm Post subject:

Thanks Womble

just the image of Mike (6) sitting on my peas and stuff in the wigwam was enough to forgive him already for this years mischeif! He has autism although thankfully he's quite 'high functioning' so he understands some things quite well,he's great when it comes to digging a hole..as long as you want it DEEP and in the same spot bless him

A walled garden would be ideal but our garden is tiny but thanks for the lovely idea.I think I might do what you said and build him a wigwam of his own though,he truly loves the garden/animals etc and is always outside with me in his wellies.He would go mad with a spot of his own..we normally do the tent thing with a sheet and sticks

He is very good planting beans and the bigger seeds so I could maybe get him to plant those outside his wigwam for shade and he might not pull them up then!I am planning to grow butternut squash this year for the first time thats one of the things I need the support system for as they'll need to go up as we are short on space if I plant them behind the blackcurrant bush do you think they'll get enough sun? The bush is about 3 feet high/2 feet wide. There is a space behind about a foot deep or so..

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 05 12:48 pm Post subject:

Ooh, Deedee, two things, related though.

Have you been to Yalding? It's really worth it if not, it's divided in to small gardens so the ideas are portable, and one of them is a children's garden I think, with turf seat and table, and living willow tunnel.

Which is the other idea, perhaps a willow wig wam. And I've definitely seen someone grow a pea house, with the canes arranged so that the peas cover it like a little den.

Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 05 1:02 pm Post subject:

Hiya Bugs not been to Yalding but think we'll have to go as it looks a great place to visit

I'm loving these ideas for the garden you know..At the moment we dont have any grass as we levelled it all last year.So really it awaits inspiration which is good as its a blank canvas.The idea of building 'green' usable structures really appeals to me and as its mainly me and Michael who use the garden I think it would be lovely.My boys are 13,10 and 6 and the two eldest are at the age where its computers all the time,in the summer they drift into the garden maybe for a game of footie..til they see a wasp

and thats about it!My garden is way too small for football so I have long said it needs structures to jump on hide in etc instead..they all enjoy that still. I thought about grass/slabs alternating for various games (outdoor draughts,hopscotch) as I dread the idea of a concrete garden and grass allover is not a great idea due to the small space,shade and wear and tear of 3 kids and dad!!I really love the idea of a turf table and seat I've seen them do cammomile ones too mmm I must do some scribbling tonight then present David with his orders for spring

Guest

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 05 11:01 am Post subject:
would he understand if you made him a patch of garden that was truly his and his alone, and then said that he could do what he wanted in it but that therefore mummy's area was mummy's? Another idea that suddenly struck me since he's just 6 is to perhaps put some of your things in a tub, the extra height before he can reach the canes might be a helpful.

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Mon Jan 17, 05 11:03 am Post subject:
that was me- I've no idea why I was logged out!!

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