rebar bent for grapevines

[btom2004]

I really like this idea. I was wondering would it be ok to put several types of grape vines together on one tree? I really don't have the space to put a lot of trees, but would love to grow more than one variety of grapes at the same time. Also how are you holding those rebars together?

I would love to do that and kill three or four birds with one stone. Speaking of birds these trees may make easy netting, to keep them away.

 

[pg55]

I welded the rebar together. As far as growing the grape vines together I never grew bunch grapes before.

 

[btom2004]

Forgive my inexperience, but when you say welded; you mean...like an arc welder of some sort? If so I don't have one of those. Is there no other way to do it?

 

[novalou]

Forgive my inexperience, but when you say welded; you mean...like an arc welder of some sort? If so I don't have one of those. Is there no other way to do it?

I suppose you can use SS hose clamps to hold them together.

 

[pg55]

Arc welded. I guess you can tie wire it together. Don't know how strong it would be. On the show Victory Garden they did a "tree" made of rebar and it was tie wired together. So maybe it would work.

 

[btom2004]

Arc welded. I guess you can tie wire it together. Don't know how strong it would be. On the show Victory Garden they did a "tree" made of rebar and it was tie wired together. So maybe it would work.

I suppose you can use SS hose clamps to hold them together.

Thanks guys that's sounds like it could work. I'll find some way to get her done. I think once I get the rebars seated in cement foundations, it should stand sturdy...correct? Then I could tie or clamp away from there.

I ordered a few vines and was wondering where and how to place them, so that my wife would not kill them; if shes not happy with them anywhere I could think of putting them. These trees would be pleasing to the eye and she shouldn't complain.

I would really like to get more than one kind on one tree. I've seen how vines will take over and kill any plant they cross. Can grape vines cohabitate? Or will one smother the others?

 

[pg55]

I made a tree with rebar on top and 1" rigid conduit for trunk. If I were to make
any more this will be my design. Much more sturdier. I took a 20' piece of rebar
and cut it into 4 5' pieces. Made my bends all the same. Welded 2 pieces laying
flat. Then took the other 2 pieces cut 8" off. Then I welded these pieces to the first 2.
This gives me an 8" stem that fits into the 1" conduit.

I painted the top green and painted the trunck primer grey. I made a second one and painted the whole tree a gloss brown which i like better.
If I was to do a small vineyard it will be post and wire trelles.

 

[garymc]

Hey, pg55, what do you think about instead of welding onto an 8" stem inserted into the conduit, just having an 8 foot or so piece of rebar and sliding the conduit over it up it to the base of the welded section. Like using the conduit as a sleeve over the upright rebar. I'm not optimistic about the conduit having the strength by itself and I know using galvanized pipe would add $20 or more to the cost. Not to say it wouldn't support the weight of a muscadine vine, but I'm thinking windstorm time. The conduit could even be tack welded at the top and bottom to the rebar running through it to give more rigidity. I was also thinking of the idea of running a trellis wire from tip to tip around the outer perimeter of the structure. I know a muscadine is going to need a lot of room to run.

edit for clarity: The arms would extend at least 4, maybe 5 feet, sloped upward, and welded onto the 8 foot upright rebar sticking out of the conduit. I'd have the bent part at the center 5 or 5 and a half feet off the ground and sloped up toward the ends to a height of a little over 6 feet.

 

[garymc]

OOPS, I just looked at the price of rigid conduit. Back to the drawing board. Or the scrap yard. This makes galvanized steel pipe feasible.

 

[pg55]

Garymc, the 1"rigid conduit would be stout enough(1" emt would not be). I am using this because this is old conduit that I savage. If I had to buy it new I won't do it. The way I am making them is I cut the 1" conduit in half which gives you 2 5' pieces. I weld my top on which makes it a lenght of total of 5'10" to the top of bend. then I cut a piece of 3/4" conduit 18" long and insert it to the bottom of 1" conduit adjusting the 3/4 in for a total length of 7' welding the 3/4 into the 1", tack on a 4" piece of rebar about 9" from bottom. I use a post hole digger and go down 18" and about 40# of bag concrete mix. I end up with a trunk 5'6" and the tips of the rebar at 6'.

 

[pg55]

I thought I give a lttle update on a Mars grape I have planted. The way it is growing I may reach the top this year.
I did let it do one bunch of grapes just for taste since it is not a wine grape. I wish my grapes planted on the north shore was doing this good.

 

[grapeman]

It should make it to the top easily this year. If it was mine, I would cut off the crooked right hand shoot and leave the single larger one on the left. It will force more energy into that shoot and give a straighter trunk for the future. Looks nice.

 

[pg55]

I see what you mean. Man I will have a hard time cutting the right side. Heck I had a hard time cutting all those baby grape bunches(I did leave one). I got a couple "trees" planted on the north shore and I could try doing a single up.

 

[GreginND]

It's tough love. But it must be done!

 

[pg55]

Pic of the two trees with french margolds. Wish the grape plants were growing as good.
Next year I will repeat and by then you may see some grape vines. Need another plant idea for the center.

 

[btom2004]

Pic of the two trees with french margolds. Wish the grape plants were growing as good.
Next year I will repeat and by then you may see some grape vines. Need another plant idea for the center.

Is there a reason you planted the marigolds?

 

[pg55]

Is there a reason you planted the margolds?

Yes. Marigolds help keep some pest away. Also the roots I have been told keep some soil pest away. I plan on just cutting the tops off and leaving the roots. I grew them from seeds. Very easy and cheap to do.

 

[pg55]

Here is the pic of the rebar tree in my back yard. It sure did grow a lot for being the first year. I do not know if that is good or bad. I plan on covering the rebar with a lightweight green fence this winter and let the vines take over the top. I hope the grapes will hang down under the fence canopy.

 

[btom2004]

Yes. Marigolds help keep some pest away. Also the roots I have been told keep some soil pest away. I plan on just cutting the tops off and leaving the roots. I grew them from seeds. Very easy and cheap to do.

Thanks that's good to know. I've read, that planting a rose bush near by is good for the vines. Do you know anything about that?

 

[pg55]

The idea behind the rose bush is that in very large vineyards looking at a rosebush planted at the end of the rows gives them an idea of the health of the rows.