My boyfriend and I have bought all the materials to make a trellis for my melon bed but it's not working out like we had planned(what a shock! LOL). I'll upload a picture of how I wanted to make it - the picture itself is from a really great site called "Path to Freedom". The problem we're running into is that the PVC pipe keeps breaking at the T-connector at the top middle of the trellis. We're using 3/4" 400psi pipe. The design is almost like we're making a hoophouse. What are we doing wrong?
Wow, I'm so envious. That looks great. I don't have any ideas how to fix the problem, but when you do get it figured out, it's going to be awesome.
Looks like you could grow stuff on it in the summer and cover with plastic and use it for greenhouse in winter.
Isn't it nice? We were planning on growing greens and such underneath for now and then covering it with plastic later on. It's going in a bed that's 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. We pounded rebarb into the ground to serve as the supports for it. It's just that it keep snapping at the T connector in the middle.
pvc glue?
We used that on the joint and it still snapped. :-(
Try this website... www.snapclamp.com
It may have a gizmo that is curved instead of straight. It has just about everything else, it should have something that will help you.
Good luck, It looks cool.
Oh yea, my other thought about your problem, maybe you're making it too small of an arch?
This message was edited Jun 15, 2006 6:38 AM
Are you bending the PVC into a narrower frame than on this photo? I made a hoop house which is shorter, from this photo a few years ago. If you make the whole structure with a slightly wider base than the top width, it shouldn't snap. I do not know the quality rating of the 400 PSI (I sanded the writing off of my pipes), but we used the better quality PVC that would stand up better with UV exposure.
These hooped shapes, with the bamboo side supports are generally much more sturdy than a PVC unit that has straight sides. It's the way the weight of the plant is distributed...
This year I bought a $6.00 arch from Biglots (if you have them in your state) that screws together. It's lightweight metal, and I used 1/2 round pipe brackets screwed into the side boards of my raised beds for the arch supports. It is doing the trick! It will easily handle small melons.
And it's super cheap.
GGG
