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Goodwood, Ontario, Canada

My pumpkin plants have been taking a battering with all the wind we've been having. To compound matters my soil has peat moss on the top couple of inches so the tap roots need many days of growing to anchor themselves into the ground.

I surrounded my patch with a very inexpensive wind break. I purchased the 1/2" plastic electrical conduit from Home Depot. They cost $3.50 for a 10' section. I cut them in half and pushed them into the ground about a foot every 4'. Next I attached 4' high landscaping fabric that I purchased from Costco @$30 for 250', securing them with the same plastic clips that I use on my hoop houses. It was windy late yesterday and the wind break work really well. It moves a little bit with the wind so I ran a rope at the top of the conduit to provide additional rigidity. This has worked out well and I now have a great wind break for about $75.

6/13/2012 6:58:41 AM

Lexington, Ky

Nice solution!

6/13/2012 8:58:25 AM

Deerfield, Michigan

Sounds like a great set up. Wind has been my #1 enemy this year.

6/14/2012 5:35:42 AM

Muddy Waters

The 1 1/4 elecrical conduit is like 2.50 here for 10 feet,Thats what I used on the Kin Cave.Are the prices higher in Canada?Did you use Ts? & make a top rail???That could work real well.Good idea.

6/14/2012 6:07:49 AM

Goodwood, Ontario, Canada

I was going to use T's for a top rail but found that running a rope along the top and looping it around each conduit gave me the overall rigidity I desire. Yes...costs in Canada are higher but I have a Home Depot just down the road. Also going to build 5'x5'x5' structures around each pumpkin set and use the clips to secure a cover.

6/14/2012 6:23:25 AM