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Wichita, KS

I have been putting a good deal of time and thought into garden and patch design over the last month or so, and I am down to the materials list, and devising a budget. However, I might change my mind on part of the design, am looking for adviceconcerning some of the materials.

I am basically copying the tomato and legume support structure designs that I saw in use at the California State Fair in Sacramento. For the tomatoes, they sank 4-5" poles into the ground at the ends of the rows, then strung bailing wire between the poles at 6" intervals so that the tomatoes could be tied to the bailing wire as it grew vertically. For the beans and peas, they did the same thing with the poles, but used wire poultry netting instead of bailing wire.

When I went to price the poles (so I could figure out how long I would have to forfeit food in order to pay for this project--LOL!), I noticed that the fencing poles, though not pressure treated, had that green chemical color on them, just like pressure treated lumber. I don't want that stuff in my soil. So here are my questions...

1. If I burried these posts in cement, would the chemical still get into the soil, or does it stay permanently in the wood?
2. I don't want to redo this project every few years... I want it to last at least a decade, longer if possible. Can you recommend something that is equally cheap, or even less expensive, that can be used to provide safe, strong, long-lasting support to garden vines? (Cememt footings, crossbeams, and 4X4s would work, but I really don't want to spend more than I already am.)

Email me if you would like to see the garden design. It is in excel format. I tried posting it in my diary, but it didn't work.

Thanks in advance for the help! :)

12/1/2004 5:40:48 PM

Wichita, KS

poles are 4-5" in diameter, 8-10 feet in length.

12/1/2004 5:43:28 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

CCA pressure treated lumber was thought to never leach until CT DEP proved otherwise. While I don't lose sleep over my CCA deck, I agree with you I don't want the leachate in my family's dinner.

I used regular Pine 4x4s for my son's sand box. That was 6 years ago. It's probably Termite food now. But he no longer uses it so for what it cost............

What about 4" Schedule 40 set in post setting cement? It's cheaper than 4x4s I think.

12/1/2004 6:01:23 PM

Wichita, KS

Hey, pipe! I knew the answer had to be simple. I must have been thinking too hard... missed the forest while looking for that tree again!

Thanks Steve! :-D

12/1/2004 7:31:10 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Depending on where you live, Locust trees make excellent long lived posts. Here in West Virginia, locust posts are the most common post used for fencing on farms. They last for years and years.
Just another thought for you...if you set untreated lumber in concrete, it will rot off at the ground very quickly. If you use pipe, I would recommend galvanized water pipe, over the cheaper black pipe.

12/2/2004 3:47:17 PM

Kiowa,Co.

cedar,use cedar posts:they are resistant to rot,and will last a long time in the ground

3/6/2005 5:50:35 PM