(This is the continuation of Part 1)
Here is the procedure to repair a rotted bamboo trellis by removing the damaged parts and then replacing them with steel rods.
Showing posts with label trellis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trellis. Show all posts
Repair a Rotted Built-In Bamboo Container Trellis
After over four years, the built-in bamboo trellis in a container that I built has shown signs of deterioration and damage. I wasn't surprised at which part of the bamboo trellis where the damage had occured. This is the part which gets wet and stays wet often - that part of the trellis that is staked in the pot's soil.
Removing an Unwieldy Vine - Thunbergia Mysorensis
It was a long wait of around 2 years when its first ever bloom appeared in 2011. There was only 1 flower that appeared in that year. In the following year, 2012, only 2 flowers appeared in summer.
That's a total of 3 flowers in the 3 years that the vine was with us.
Assemble the Trellis Frame - Part 2
This is the second part on the trellis frame assembly.
In the first part, two topics were discussed: the assembly of the trellis frame outline and an explanation of the terms used to describe the components that make up the trellis frame. Shown below are the parts that make up the garden trellis frame.
In the first part, two topics were discussed: the assembly of the trellis frame outline and an explanation of the terms used to describe the components that make up the trellis frame. Shown below are the parts that make up the garden trellis frame.
Assemble the Trellis Frame - Part 1
Drilling and mounting the trellis anchors is just half of the work to be done to complete this DIY wall trellis project. It's actually the easier half because you have a power drill to do the bulk of the work for you.
In assembling the wire trellis, you'll be limited with manual hand tools like pliers, vise grips and other trellising materials. Expect plenty of brute force for bending, forming and setting the metal wires. So it is important to plan ahead with the sequence of tasks to do so there is minimal wasted effort. You save time on rework. As well, you save your knees from undue stress of climbing up and down the ladder to assemble this big trellis.
In assembling the wire trellis, you'll be limited with manual hand tools like pliers, vise grips and other trellising materials. Expect plenty of brute force for bending, forming and setting the metal wires. So it is important to plan ahead with the sequence of tasks to do so there is minimal wasted effort. You save time on rework. As well, you save your knees from undue stress of climbing up and down the ladder to assemble this big trellis.
Drill Trellis Anchors in Concrete Wall
After marking the drill points for the trellis anchors on the concrete wall, it's time to take out the power drill for a spin. As you will be working on concrete, ensure the power drill is switched to the "hammer drill" setting and not the "normal drill" setting which works for metal and wood only.
In this connection, you should also be ready with the appropriate masonry drill bit to be used for drilling holes on the concrete wall. Masonry drill bits, as opposed to the regular drill bits, will work only on concrete.
Because you'll be screwing the trellis anchors into the holes, you'll also be needing plastic expansion shields. These are also called plastic expansion sleeves or fasteners. One expansion shield used in this garden project is shown below.
In this connection, you should also be ready with the appropriate masonry drill bit to be used for drilling holes on the concrete wall. Masonry drill bits, as opposed to the regular drill bits, will work only on concrete.
Because you'll be screwing the trellis anchors into the holes, you'll also be needing plastic expansion shields. These are also called plastic expansion sleeves or fasteners. One expansion shield used in this garden project is shown below.
Marking Drill Points for Trellis Anchors
Trellis anchors are what support and secure your wall trellis to the concrete wall. Too few anchors and your garden trellis may collapse sooner than you think. They should be strong and adequate enough so they can withstand the weight of the vine. The trellis anchors also provide support to the branches of non-clinging, non-twining garden vines.
It is important that trellis anchors are positioned so that they're evenly spaced. This ensures that the load of both trellis and vine is balanced. And when a storm or typhoon comes, a well-secured and balanced trellis assures that the high impact that strong winds place on the vines do not compromise the trellis' stability.
It is important that trellis anchors are positioned so that they're evenly spaced. This ensures that the load of both trellis and vine is balanced. And when a storm or typhoon comes, a well-secured and balanced trellis assures that the high impact that strong winds place on the vines do not compromise the trellis' stability.
Easy Trellis Starter Tip
Wall trellises are relatively easy to assemble and mount. In a recent project, I attempted to build a wall wire trellis on faux stone panel. It turned out very well and although it posed a few challenges, was actually easier than I thought. The position of the trellis though was higher off the ground because of the way the post was built.
The faux stone panel adorned the top part of the post while the lower part had some decorative side mouldings. Although not impossible, I thought it would be awkward to put some trellising materials on this lower portion of the post. Wall wire trellises are best mounted on flat-faced walls rather than on walls that have ridges or bumps like in this case, concrete moldings.
The faux stone panel adorned the top part of the post while the lower part had some decorative side mouldings. Although not impossible, I thought it would be awkward to put some trellising materials on this lower portion of the post. Wall wire trellises are best mounted on flat-faced walls rather than on walls that have ridges or bumps like in this case, concrete moldings.
Strong Jointed Garden Wire Trellis
A wire garden trellis relies on a sturdy interconnection of metal wires for vines to climb a pre-defined garden trellis design. Although there are a few methods for joining crossed trellis wires, one must choose the method that best addresses the purpose of the garden trellis project. Garden vines that are expected to become robust and heavy in the future would definitely require thicker wires and stronger joins at the wire intersection.
In my experience, the use of epoxy clay for joining metal wires is always the easiest method to do. You only need a little of the clay portions, a small bowl of water to facilitate mixing and you're ready to mix the clay and apply. The result is often a neat-looking and adequately strong wire joint as shown below.
In my experience, the use of epoxy clay for joining metal wires is always the easiest method to do. You only need a little of the clay portions, a small bowl of water to facilitate mixing and you're ready to mix the clay and apply. The result is often a neat-looking and adequately strong wire joint as shown below.
Methods to Join Garden Trellis Wires
I've often made various types of wire trellises in the garden. These trellises are usually wall-mounted and provide a valuable garden structure for many garden vines to climb. Garden wire trellises would typically have wires crossing each other to form square or diamond patterns.
Shown below is a flowering young Bleeding Heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) growing on a wall-mounted garden trellis. The trellis is made from wire with a 12" x 12" square pattern on a 8 ft. by 6 ft. frame. It is anchored to the wall with long L-hooks screwed to the concrete wall. The wires have been painted (brown) to weather the elements.
Shown below is a flowering young Bleeding Heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) growing on a wall-mounted garden trellis. The trellis is made from wire with a 12" x 12" square pattern on a 8 ft. by 6 ft. frame. It is anchored to the wall with long L-hooks screwed to the concrete wall. The wires have been painted (brown) to weather the elements.
Growing Garden Vine Saplings - Thunbergia Grandiflora
In a recent post, I discussed a flourishing T.grandiflora vine that I trained in a garden pot with a built-in bamboo trellis. This vine was from a group of seven very young vines or saplings that my wife and I saw by the roadside. This is at a college campus where we went to find seedlings of the T.grandiflora.
We were a bit skeptical yet very much hopeful in growing this lovely Thunbergia grandiflora vine. From the seven young saplings, here's the biggest and healthiest-looking that I separated to grow on the trellis.
We were a bit skeptical yet very much hopeful in growing this lovely Thunbergia grandiflora vine. From the seven young saplings, here's the biggest and healthiest-looking that I separated to grow on the trellis.
Trellised Thunbergia Grandiflora in a Garden Pot
From the loot of seven Thunbergia grandiflora small saplings we took home, all seven survived. That's an excellent survival rate but then, these are saplings. They have rooted well already and will continue to grow unless you intentionally kill them. Internet sources say T.grandiflora is easily propagated by cuttings.
Build a Wire Trellis on Faux Stone Panel
Faux stone panels have long been used as decorative siding tiles on walls and masonry projects. The tiles, which give the impression of stones joined together, adds a 3-dimensional interesting texture to an otherwise smooth and plain structure like a wall or post.
For some, a structure decorated with faux stone panel tiles is enough. For eager gardeners however, adorning such decorated structures with trellised vines adds the nice green accent of natural foliage to the cold facade of stone. Assembling a garden wire trellis on faux stone panel isn't difficult. It's mostly a matter of knowing the properties or characteristics of faux stone panels, which will allow you to find the suitable wall anchors and their placement on the panel.
For some, a structure decorated with faux stone panel tiles is enough. For eager gardeners however, adorning such decorated structures with trellised vines adds the nice green accent of natural foliage to the cold facade of stone. Assembling a garden wire trellis on faux stone panel isn't difficult. It's mostly a matter of knowing the properties or characteristics of faux stone panels, which will allow you to find the suitable wall anchors and their placement on the panel.
Build a Container Trellis out of Bamboo
The first part of this article discussed the background and considerations for building a sturdy standalone container trellis. This part discusses the entire assembly of the garden trellis.
The assembly of the container trellis will be two-step. The first step will be to modify the garden pot so that the trellis holders can be permanently affixed inside the container. The second step will be to assemble the bamboo trellis for the vine. The trellis structure can be attached or detached anytime from the container.
The assembly of the container trellis will be two-step. The first step will be to modify the garden pot so that the trellis holders can be permanently affixed inside the container. The second step will be to assemble the bamboo trellis for the vine. The trellis structure can be attached or detached anytime from the container.
Sturdy DIY Bamboo Trellis in a Container
Here's a beautiful bamboo and steel wire trellis that you can easily build for your container or garden pot. Other than a pair of pliers with a wire cutter, you won't need any special tools.
Originally, all I wanted was a garden pot to cover a concrete patch in the middle of the grass lawn. This is a 1 foot square concrete slab that serves as a cover for a catch basin. You see, the slab's color sticks out amidst the lush green color of the lawn and so I wanted to hide it.
But I also had some flowering garden vine seedlings that needed transplanting and so a garden pot with its own standalone trellis was worth considering.
Originally, all I wanted was a garden pot to cover a concrete patch in the middle of the grass lawn. This is a 1 foot square concrete slab that serves as a cover for a catch basin. You see, the slab's color sticks out amidst the lush green color of the lawn and so I wanted to hide it.
But I also had some flowering garden vine seedlings that needed transplanting and so a garden pot with its own standalone trellis was worth considering.
How to Anchor the Wall Mounted Wire Trellis
After installing the wall mounted trellis in a previous entry, I realized how inadequate it was if I were to grow additional vines on it. And true enough, when I transferred the Mysore Clock vine (Thunbergia Mysorensis) cuttings, there may not be enough space.
The Mysore Clock vine is not an aggressive climber compared to the Princess Vine, but it has lush foliage. The Princess vine is a clinging vine while the Mysore Clock vine is a twining vine. The Princess vine grows fast and clambers and clings on to anything if not attended to. It can quickly overwhelm any other vine near it. For this reason, I decided to "extend" the currently installed trellis.
The Mysore Clock vine is not an aggressive climber compared to the Princess Vine, but it has lush foliage. The Princess vine is a clinging vine while the Mysore Clock vine is a twining vine. The Princess vine grows fast and clambers and clings on to anything if not attended to. It can quickly overwhelm any other vine near it. For this reason, I decided to "extend" the currently installed trellis.
How to Assemble a Simple Bamboo Trellis for Climbing Plants
For building a simple, cheap and easy-to-build climbing structure for plants, nothing beats the versatility of bamboo. It's cheap and easily available in places that sell stuff for garden needs. Some shops also sell bamboo for fencing and chicken coop construction purposes. A tied bundle of 4 foot long bamboo split bamboo pieces numbering around 20 pieces cost Php75.
Splitting the Bamboo
Bamboo can easily be split into thinner pieces and you need a machete for this. Position the blade of the machete on one end and tap it a little until it makes a dent. Bamboo that's 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick is strong enough for a sturdy climbing structure or garden trellis for plants. After the blade splits the top end, continue adding force on the machete so the bamboo splits completely.
Splitting the Bamboo
Bamboo can easily be split into thinner pieces and you need a machete for this. Position the blade of the machete on one end and tap it a little until it makes a dent. Bamboo that's 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick is strong enough for a sturdy climbing structure or garden trellis for plants. After the blade splits the top end, continue adding force on the machete so the bamboo splits completely.
Build a Bleeding Heart Wall Trellis - Part 4
In the previous entry or Part 3 of this how-to series, I wrote about a successful vine thriving on a tall trellis. I also listed some considerations on why I decided to build a trellis made of steel wire.
For the Steel Wire Trellis project, here are the materials and tools you'll need:
Materials:
Steel Wire - Gauge 14, 120 feet
Square Hooks - 2", 21 pieces
Plastic Expansion Shield (tox) - #5 or size for the square hook screw, 21 pieces
Epoxy Clay
Quick Dry Enamel Paint
Tools:
Vise Grips
Channel Type Pliers
Long Nose Pliers
Power Drill
Concrete Drill Bit - size appropriate for the square hook screw
Paintbrush - 1"
For the Steel Wire Trellis project, here are the materials and tools you'll need:
Materials:
Steel Wire - Gauge 14, 120 feet
Square Hooks - 2", 21 pieces
Plastic Expansion Shield (tox) - #5 or size for the square hook screw, 21 pieces
Epoxy Clay
Quick Dry Enamel Paint
Tools:
Vise Grips
Channel Type Pliers
Long Nose Pliers
Power Drill
Concrete Drill Bit - size appropriate for the square hook screw
Paintbrush - 1"
Build a Bleeding Heart Wall Trellis - Part 3
In Part 2 of this how-to series, I mentioned about a Bleeding Heart vine that was doing very well on a high trellis. The photo of that vine is shown below.
The name of the proud owner of this vine is Jim R. Stevens and I learned of him from forums.gardnweb.com. Here's the specific entry in that forum.
I asked Jim about his trellis' spacing dimensions and verified that the spacing is 8" by 8". The spacing is a bit tight in my opinion and decided that a 10" x 12" (height x width) would do.
The name of the proud owner of this vine is Jim R. Stevens and I learned of him from forums.gardnweb.com. Here's the specific entry in that forum.
I asked Jim about his trellis' spacing dimensions and verified that the spacing is 8" by 8". The spacing is a bit tight in my opinion and decided that a 10" x 12" (height x width) would do.
Build a Bleeding Heart Wall Trellis - Part 2
After seeing the sorry state our vine was in, I was determined to find a new home for it. In Part 1 of this how-to series, I simply propped it up temporarily with a couple of bamboo sticks.
I googled the internet for successful flowering Bleeding Heart Vines and saw a couple of photos that blew me away.
This one is quite incredible.
It is in a pot but with flowers aplenty! I couldn't imagine the number of flower clusters in this plant. It's as if the color of the white calyxes simply overpower the green leaves.
Well, as as they say, "to see is to believe". And after seeing the above, I suppose it IS possible to have such prolific flowering.
I googled the internet for successful flowering Bleeding Heart Vines and saw a couple of photos that blew me away.
This one is quite incredible.
It is in a pot but with flowers aplenty! I couldn't imagine the number of flower clusters in this plant. It's as if the color of the white calyxes simply overpower the green leaves.
- EVEN if the vine is in a container (garden pot)
- and EVEN if there's no trellis.
