Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[gtaus]

When I had the screened panels around my beds I had a screw in the middle of each side that I used to attach it to the permanent upright 2x4s mounted on the bed. It only took a few seconds to back the two screws out enough to pull off the panels.

That's what I am doing now - using screws. But it always seems to me that I want to get into the garden bed and don't have a screwdriver or my drill handy.

I have started replacing the screws with rope that I can tie and untie as needed to get into the garden bed. No tools required with rope. The screws only take a few seconds to get out if you have a tool (screwdriver or drill) handy. Otherwise, I have to walk all the way back to the garage and get my tools.

It's not a really big deal, but it wastes time and effort. I'm just experimenting with other options that are tool free.

 

[gtaus]

I don't know of any veggies that will grow in heavy shade, but some ornamentals will.

I'm not into flowers. If I grow something, it has to be with the idea it ends up on the supper table. But the heavy shade is killing my efforts with those raised beds on the backside of my chicken run. I'll probably just relocate the beds with more sunshine. I have to pick and choose my battles.

 

[Smokerbill]

Well darn, I guess the deer here are nimble. They tiptoed past the pallets on the ground and pruned the squash again.

No biggie. I'll still have plenty of squash.

 

[gtaus]

Put "eyes" on the sides of each panel, then run a metal rod through them to attach the panels.

Thanks. I had not thought of that for this project, but I have certainly done similar setups on other things. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[gtaus]

Well darn, I guess the deer here are nimble. They tiptoed past the pallets on the ground and pruned the squash again.

No biggie. I'll still have plenty of squash.

That's too bad. I was really hoping that your pallets on the ground idea would work. I have a bunch of squash out in my raised bed gardens, but of course they have spread out and over the raised bed and are growing on the lawn.

I hope some of my squash makes it to maturity before the darned deer find them and eat them all. I don't want to have to put up a deer fence all around my backyard garden just to keep the deer out. It probably would be a lot cheaper just to buy the squash we will eat than buy a tall deer fence.

Google reenactment of what happened to me last year...

That's why I have made all those chicken wire protective cages for my raised beds. So far, the cages have kept out the rabbits. I'll find out how much damage the deer can do with my cages that do not have chicken wire on top. I am hoping that they just find it too difficult to reach up and over the fence to get at the tomatoes and peppers this year.

If they are not deterred by the protective cages without tops, I have some ideas to add removable tops to the frames.

At this point, I think I am putting more time and effort into protecting my gardens than expanding my production. Last year was a real wake up call for me when I had a herd of deer basically eat most of my crop in one night. That was heart breaking.

I think I am ready for the deer this year.