Making shelter for chickens with young trees instead of lumber and plywood?

[bluemerle]

Let me know how it goes! I'm hoping to start my own grape vines next year, too.

 

[EggWalrus]

You can train any tree to bend in an arch (or in a teepee, if that's your desire) but its root system will be just as aggressive as any other tree, so perhaps be mindful of it's location. Personally, I would use potted grape vines (pot buried in the dirt to cover up/appear more natural) and train them up a trellis of your choosing.

Why would you bury a pot unless it was for a short period until you could plant the vine properly? All that will do is eventual kill the grape vine by making it root bound.
Gape vines don't put out suckers or spread across the ground like some plants. I'm in 8b and my grapes grow fine. You have to look online and learn how to "train" them or they can be an unproductive mess.
You can get some trellis lattice and make a tunnel that will support your grape vines which will give you and your birds shade and treats. Mine love the grapes, and they eat all of them within jumping reach. Good thing they leave me enough to make some wine with.

 

[bluemerle]

You are certainly free to plant grapes in the ground if you wish. People grow things in containers for all sorts of reasons: the ability to control soil quality is the biggest one.

 

[EggWalrus]

You are certainly free to plant grapes in the ground if you wish. People grow things in containers for all sorts of reasons: the ability to control soil quality is the biggest one.

But they don't plant the container, and any nursery recommends against it.
The roots on any given plant only extend so far. If worried about soil quality, just fill the proper sized hole you dig (that you're putting a planter in) with the best top soil you can find.
Also, Grape vines do not require being dug up and brought inside during winter.

 

[FlyWheel]

Off topic, but have you ever read any of the early books from Stephan R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series?