These simple covered hoops serve a multitude of uses in the garden.

Because we have such a short growing season at Beekman 1802, we have to give our seedlings every chance possible. Watch the slide show below to see how we construct our protective hoop coverings that save our plants from cold and pests.

Materials:

recycled 3/4 in pvc pipe

3/4 inch fabric clamps

Floating Row Cover

Rebar lengths

Click on first picture to begin slideshow:

Climbing towards the sun.

Many of our favorite vegetables in the Beekman Heirloom Vegetable Garden require some sort of trellising – tomatoes, beans, peas, melons, cucumbers. When we put in our raised garden two years ago, we were determined to devise a trellising system that was easy to assemble, and would last for years. We were sick of weaving together bamboo sticks, and snapping together plastic cages. We learned that if something was cheap, it wouldn’t last more than a month, and if it had any sort of moving parts, it wouldn’t last more than a week. (If we could figure it out in the first place.)

We think we’ve perfected the perfect solution – and it’s relatively inexpensive to boot. (especially considering that we haven’t had to replace anything in three years.)

Our secret weapon? Livestock panels.

Livestock fence panel for trellising.

These lengths of panels are 12′ long, and come in a variety of heights. Made of thick welded galvanized steel, they don’t get rusty or bent out of shape very easily. (If only the same could be said for us.) How do we use them? In many different ways…

Our most ingenious discovery was that if we inserted one end of the panel into the soil on one end of the bed, and then bent it over, we could insert the other end of the panel into the opposite end of the bed. This forms a sort of “hoop” over the bed. We call it our “Calistoga Wagon Trellis.”

By mid-summer, this trellis is covered with bean vines.

We use this hoop system for our tallest vines – usually our beans. It allows six feet of growth on either side. To make the most of our bed space, we plant the beans at the base of the trellis ends, and lettuces and other greens  in the middle. The lettuces get full sun while the bean vines are young, and as the beans grow to cover the trellis, they shade the greens underneath – keeping them from bolting in the increasingly hot summer days.

We employ another method using livestock panels for shorter vines (cucumbers, melons, peas.) For these, we cut our 3 ft tall livestock panels into 6 foot lengths using a bolt-cutter. They fit exactly in the length of our beds, and we use one on each side to form a teepee. Like with the Callistoga Hoop method, we also plant tender, heat sensitive greens underneath their shade.

Pea, melon, & cucumber trellising.

One added bonus, we realized that first year, is that before any seeds have sprouted, the two panel segments can be laid over top of the beds to discourage cats and other animals from digging in the exposed dirt.

Laid flat, trellis pieces offer early protection from cats and other digging creatures.

Another added bonus, we learned, was that the spare old windows we found in the barn can be placed on top of the panels to create a simple coldframe. These help warm up the beds quicker in the springtime, and keep them from freezing for another month or so in the winter.

A window laid on top of flattened trellising creates a cold frame with ventilation around the edges.

Pretty ingenious, no?  So where can you buy livestock panels? Check out your local Agway or farm supply dealer. Ask for cattle or hog panels (different heights) and be sure to purchase the heavy-duty ones. Each panel, if we remember correctly, cost us about $25. (from which we get three small trellis sections, or one large Calistoga hoop trellis.)  Seems costly, perhaps, but when we step back to think of all of the cages, netting, broken stakes, and what-have-you we’ve thrown away over the years, we think it’s a pretty good value.

Cucumber

THE CUCUMBER IS A FRUIT, NOT A VEGETABLE. It belongs to the same family as gourds, melons, and squash.  They are high in nutrients (potassium, magnesium, and fiber), low in calories (only 14 calories per cup), and because they are mostly water, can be both very refreshing and very filling.

But are they good for the skin?  You bet.  Cucumbers are high in silica, an essential component of the collagen that keeps the skin plump.  Cucumbers are also rich in Vitamin C and the phytonutrient caffeic acid, both of which can prevent water retention, helpful for swollen eyes and soothing for sunburns and other skin inflammation

LAST YEAR WAS A HORRIBLE YEAR FOR OUR CUKES. We barely harvested enough for a half dozen jars of pickles. What went wrong? Hard to say. We were hit with a heavy infestation of Acalymma vittatum, (striped cucumber beetles) early on in the season. For many weeks, our first chore upon rising was heading out into the garden to pinch them off of the seedlings, one by one. Not our favorite thing to do before breakfast.

Then the rains came. And came. And came. 2008 was one of the wettest seasons in many years. Normally cukes like rain, but perhaps they were simply overcome.

This year we’re hoping things will be different. We’ve had great success before. We’ve chosen a couple of new varieties this year, but are also including some of our old favorites. We tend not to favor the traditional green zeppelins, gravitating instead towards relative oddities like the West Indian Burr Gherkin and the Long White cucumber.

Which cukes are you growing this year? Share with us below in the comments section below the photos.

LEMON CUCUMBER – An unusual variety, originally from Australia, but cultivated for more than a century in the US. The vines produce ovoid, pale yellow fruits with crisp white flesh, 2- 3 in. long. When skin is translucent, fruits are good for slicing. As plants mature, skin turns golden yellow and fruits are better for pickling.

BOSTON PICKLING CUCUMBER –  Introduced around 1880, this has always been a popular and consistent variety producing small, dark green, smooth skinned fruits with black spines, 5 6 in. long. Used primarily for pickling.

WEST INDIAN BURR GHERKIN – This cucumber is actually a separate species, but it is the original fruit used for pickling gherkins. It was first introduced into the U.S. from Jamaica in 1793, and probably originated in Africa. The 2-3 inch long fruit is covered with large, prickly burrs. Very distinctive taste.

LONG WHITE CUCUMBER –  This is a very rare heirloom which can grow to 6 lb. and is excellent for salads and fresh sliced. Smooth white-skinned fruit has very crisp, mild tasting flesh.

CHICAGO PICKLING CUCUMBER – Introduced in 1888, this variety originated outside of Chicago. It has been used for making dill pickles for over a century. Vines produce medium green, blunt ended fruits, 5 6 in. long with thin warty skin. Plants are disease resistant and prolific.

LONG GREEN CUCUMBER – Introduced in 1842, this variety is related to an older variety, ‘Long Green Turkey’ grown in the 1700’s. Plants are vigorous, productive and reliable. Fruits are 10 12 in. long, medium green with black spines. Good for pickling or slicing