Hi EG,

The box performed as intended. The nylon ties are still holding up. The combination of Mel's Mix and the "Box" is a real winner. The only varmint damage sustained was from deer nibbling at the pole bean leaves on one of the end trellises. The damage didn't really affect the harvest.

The nights are starting to get cool here in the Virginia mountains. Over the last week I habve started the Fall garden. The cabbage, brocolli and cauliflower transplants doubled in size in a week and the turnip, lettuce, mustard, kale, radish, and snow-pea seeds sprouted in record time. We are still harvesting tomatos, bell peppers and cucumbers from the spring plantings.

I had gardened in raised beds for years but this was my first attempt at using Mel's Mix. I like it . . . . a lot. I use the straight Mel's Mix supplemented with natural fertilizers. I love the friable, dark mix. It's light texture makes planting and weeding very easy.

My wife and I had garden vegetables nearly every night this Summer. Despite the fact that the garden is only 96 square feet in size, we still on occassion found it necessary to give away produce to the neighbors.

I homebrew and decided to grow my own hops this year. These things like to climb. I was a little late getting the rhizomes in the ground and didn't yet have a supporting structure. The "Box" came to the rescue! I installed some 10' pieces of conduit to the existing Box uprights in such a manner to permit raising as required to prrovide additional growing height or to lower to harvest the hop cones. The hops vines climp a length of sisal rope which is attached near the top of the conduit. It worked like a charm.

hellbender - oh yes...the mel's mix works great! I had concerns with the ends being exposed to possible damage from animals, but so far I've had none. Early in the year, I attached some 2 foot bamboo extensions to my trellises in the middle, and it allowed me to get at least 1/3 more harvest from the pole beans. The strong uprights allow you to adapt as needed. BTW...you may be interested in a hoop cover design I will be putting together for mine later. I'll post about it on my blog - maybe in about a month....

EG

EG

I would be very interested in the hoop cover design if it is integrated with the "Box" design. Another thing I like about the Box is if placed in full sun, the trellises help protect more tender plants (like fall seedlings) from overexposure.

HB

Oh yeah...the hoop covers will definitely be integrated into the design of the box, and anything short of a major weather event - will stay in place. I agree, the "walls" of trellised veggies provide filtered sunlight to plants that benefit from it, and my peppers love this. For the record, the only peppers this year have came from the plants in the center, which aren't exposed to direct sunlight. Kinda debunks the whole "full sun" recommendation.

EG

Last March I constucted 4'x4' boxes. In one of them I took 2 10'x 1/2" PVC pipe and set them diagonally from corner to corner and tied the cross with two cable ties. Then we put up 6 ml plastic over it for a frost cover. After my spring seeds were planted we had a snowstorm with some really wet snow. No problem. Just had to adjust the bricks around the bottom securing the plastic. The PVC hasn't shifted at all and it's been up all summer through wind and rainstorms.
Pole beans are now climbing over it.
Keski

Keski - my hoop covers will be the same size as yours (4x4), but constructed very differently. No bricks will be necessary, because each dome (probably at least 4) will be stand-alone units, that will fit inside the constraints of the bed, then locked into place. I haven't made any sketches of it yet, but have the design in my head. As soon as the current shed construction is complete, i'll proceed with putting the ideas into action.

EG

EG - Let me see when you get it done. Sounds good.
Keski

will do!

Honestly EG! Can't you take a photo that doesn't have the flip flops in it??!!?? hahaha!

crystabel - I know, can you believe those things, always trying to get in the shot? Ha!

EG