What did you do in the garden today?

[GardenNut]

Any chance that you can get them delivered?  CP are useful for so many things.  It's good to order a few extras just to have them handy when inspiration strikes!  You need to cultivate some friends with trucks!  Perhaps you can do some bartering.  I have learned that when transporting CP, it's VERY important to secure the bottom of the panels to the bed of the truck.  The last time I transported panels, the wind caught them, and they went rolling down the highway like an overgrown tumbleweed.  I thank God that there was no traffic that day.  I could have easily killed someone.  

I'm going to call some places about delivery. I know I'm not the only person without a truck. I may even rent a truck!

Glad your hauling turned ok. That happened to my daughter's dog crate!

 

[Nofowlplay]

Tomatoes are late this year but are very good. I grew some in beds and some in straw bales. Will use the old straw bales for weed control around the yard this fall. My hens decided they enjoy green tomatoes though!

I just let them have access to a few plants. Possums climbing the apple trees at night eating the apples. Been reading on the net about ways to discourage them.

Had plenty of peaches and have started pruning the peach tree back so the branches don't break next year with the weight of so much fruit!

 

[GardenNut]

My dumb question of the day: do cattle panels come rolled up or laying flat? I'm hoping since some are 16' long, they come rolled? That would make them easier to haul.

Picked a bunch of tomatoes today. It's hot and humid here today. My electric poultry fencing arrived, so I hope to work on expanding the chicken run tomorrow!

 

[lazy gardener]

Nope they come flat. They are super stiff. It takes a lot of muscle power to even flex them enough to get them in a truck bed (think CP igloo 4' x 4' on bottom and 7' tall.) To haul them, it works best to load them in, end first. Then several very strong people flex them up in the middle and keep flexing up until they are far enough into the bed to be able to close the tail gate. Then use multiple ratchet straps to hook them together into a semi rigid igloo shape, and secure them VERY VERY well to the metal tie down thingies at all 4 corners of the bed of the truck. Wouldn't hurt to tie them in a few other places also.

 

[Beekissed]

These can also be put in the truck on their side instead of standing up in a tall hoop....just need to be curled a bit more in shorter truck beds or trailers, but they ride much, much better if loaded on their sides(the hooped up "igloo" will be lying on its side instead of standing up in the truck bed, with top of the arch against the cab of the truck). Easier to haul and fasten down that way.

Sort of like these fellas did but they did it backwards...if they had put the arch at the cab side of the truck bed they could have ratcheted in the ends and closed their tailgate on the whole load.

 

[lazy gardener]

I like that plan better. Much more stable than the way I did it.

 

[GardenNut]

Thanks for the suggestions! Those things are big! But I'm still itching to get some and make a roomy coop. I did get my new electric net fencing up this morning, although I haven't hooked it up yet. My 3 girls and roo have 250 sq ft next to the garden! No more pooping on my back porch! Once the garden is done, I can open the gate for them for even more space!

 

[lazy gardener]

For your viewing pleasure. Want CP? Gotta have these. the sky is the limit when you use these little thingies to attach your CP together!

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/wire-panel-connector-hinge

 

[GardenNut]

For your viewing pleasure.  Want CP?  Gotta have these.  the sky is the limit when you use these little thingies to attach your CP together!  

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/wire-panel-connector-hinge

Exciting! That's also the company I ordered my electric net fencing from!

 

[lazy gardener]

Exciting! That's also the company I ordered my electric net fencing from!

Good company. I bought those spirals for my CP fencing around the garden. Drove a piece of rebar at each corner, and where ever 2 CP met, joined the CP at the rebar, and dropped a spiral down over the joint. Then put a T post at middle of each CP. The spiral makes a fantastic gate.