COLUMNISTS: KATRINA & CLAYTON
We used 1 pallet to make this, screws, and string.
Tools required: saw, drill, screwdriver, and hammer.
There is always something you have, or can salvage before buying new. You can pick up pallets for free so this is a minimum cost project. There are always pallets lying around in people's gardens, businesses, and the side of the road. Many companies ship items on them nowadays so ask around locally, in a local Facebook group, or even on Gumtree where you will find people wanting rid of them. When I asked in my local community Facebook group last summer, I collected 14 in a week - that is a lot of usable wood for free!
We used these pallets last year to make paths across our food forest where we had mulched the whole area. It was so slippery being on a slope with cardboard and mulch that we could not walk in the area. These last few months we have managed to make dedicated paths so we can now safely walk across.
Here are the easy steps we took to build a support structure for our raspberries. The process uses minimal effort so Clayton is able to help do the rest. We have 8 in total to build.
For this project I am looking for one that has 2 middle posts so I can just saw right down the middle and create structures with minimal effort.
I simply used a hand saw that we use for pruning, it cuts quickly and effectively. I cut straight down the middle and straight down both edges, removing as little as possible.
Not to waste any part of the wood, I removed the small pieces of wood from the end pieces (they were knocked off with a hammer) and screwed it into place.
Next I drilled double holes on the ends of each plank giving me holes to thread the string through. Make sure the holes drilled are large enough to pass the string through.
They were then hammered into the ground on either side of our row of raspberries. I used a large plastic crocheting needle to thread, as that is what I had to hand.
And that is it: all in place ready for the raspberries to grow, be supported on either side, allowing good air flow underneath the plants.
Use what you have, before you start buying new items. You will be surprised what you come up with once you start looking! What will you use?
Katrina and Clayton Gelderbloem, live with their family in East Ayrshire, and share their daily life in the garden on Instagram. They practise permaculture principles in the garden, reducing and repurposing waste whenever they can.
Clayton is 15, autistic, non-verbal, and has been home-educated for the last 5 years. Katrina believes home-educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive. He completed the ‘Grow and Learn’ Course with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society last year, and this year has started the Level 2 ‘Nurture Course’.
Keep up with Katrina and Clayton on Instagram, Facebook, and on their website.