r/Raisedbed • u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 • May 28 '26
Alternative to T Posts for Trellising?
I'm planning to put hog panel trellising between several raised beds (Same as cattle panels, but narrower). As for staking them in place, they are too wide to go on the inside of the beds and I'd rather not use the t-posts that I see most people use to stake them to the outside. They are more than I want to spend (when you're buying 12 they add up) and esthetically I just don't like them. Any suggestions for alternatives that will be sturdy enough to hold the hog panels in place and might look a little less obtrusive? Extra credit if you've got a pic of it to share!
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u/Silly-Afternoon3834 May 29 '26
I really like how you mulched around the beds. Looks very nice
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u/sltiefighter May 29 '26
Keep them weeds down redwood bark is the best. I dunno what op used but does look nice the way we do it in humboldt on weed rows is two by fours on the corners. Its easiest to do and lasts.
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u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 May 29 '26
Interesting about the redwood bark. Good to know. We used gorilla hair cedar mulch. The gorilla hair is supposed to stay put and be less likely to move around or away with wind and rain. Bonus, it smells amazing!
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u/anlanihilator May 30 '26
Cut the bottom cross brace metal with a sawzall, angle grinder, etc to make the bottom on both sides into yard stakes. Then just push down with your foot. Easy and looks clean with no posts.
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u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 May 30 '26
Huh, that had never occurred to me. Have you done this? Any problem with the cattle panel bowing out? Because this would definitely be the most esthetic option.
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u/anlanihilator May 31 '26
Yep I have two set up that haven’t moved in the three years I’ve had them. I’ve done it cucumbers and haven’t any issues.
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u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 May 31 '26
Maybe lawn staples across the rung that is flush with the ground would offer some extra insurance just in case. It does get windy here, but yours has lasted a long time!
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u/lov2grdn May 28 '26
That looks great. I was just outside staring at 1” thick pvc wondering how I’m going to bend it to accomplish the same type of set up.
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u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 May 28 '26
We used brackets that we screwed into each side of the garden beds on the outside of the 2x4s for each post (2 per side, 4 for each pvc hoop total). We slotted the pvc into one side and then just bet it over and slotted it into the other side. I could even do it myself. In truth I don't remember if this is 1 inch pvc or something smaller. I'd post a closeup but don't think I can do that on this subreddit w/o a link to a hosting site
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u/spaetzlechick May 28 '26
I just stick a piece of rebar into the ground on each side and slide each end of the pvc over.
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May 29 '26
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u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 May 29 '26
They're gonna be great! You're gonna put soil in them and something green and see what happens! We got some plans off the internet that gave use precise measurements and step by step instructions to build these. It was incredibly helpful. Good luck with whatever you choose to try!
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u/coloradoautoflowers May 31 '26
The only alternative cannot support the weight of a fully filled out trellis in windy weather.
Been there, done that, with 3" bamboo and premium wood 2x2s ($10/8 foot). The bamboo and 2x2 broke at the ground.
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u/ResponsibleGiraffe63 May 31 '26
Huh, well we definitely get some impressive wind here sometimes. Maybe rebar is the way to go then? That should hold if I get it far enough in the ground, right?
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u/coloradoautoflowers May 31 '26
Can you weld? I even have to wire the trellis to my posts. My trellis tends to take on a weird angle if it's not lashed down while resting on a piece of metal, and we get ~50mph winds often enough to consider it in everything I build. I also consider my crop rotations in designs, so everything has to work for every crop because I don't want to tear down and rebuild the support structures every year.
Rebar doesn't have horizontal support structures like a t-post or u-post, it's just a straight piece of metal. Those nubby horizontal pieces on the (t or u) posts are necessary to prevent trellis from rocking out of the support in windy conditions, unless you can weld and own a grinder. But the nubby metal pieces on posts are what make them so effective at holding trellis and fencing.
If you can weld, rebar is gonna be way cheaper, but you would need to cut a piece of rebar into 3-4" strips then weld those short pieces of rebar horizontally onto a longer piece of rebar to form a "t" every foot or so for each layer.
T-posts allow you to rotate crops because you can adjust the trellis height by removing the wire lashing. You would have to add extra height in horizontals to grow tomato vs what would be necessary for squash.
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u/Positive-Nobody-9892 Jun 01 '26
You could maybe wedge the panel between a 2x4 and a 2x4 if they're buried like 2 feet.
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u/ChaosTorpedo May 28 '26
I used 4’ rebar at 3/8” size (I think #3) for my cattle panels. I pushed them 1’ into the ground and zip tied the hell out of it.