Whether you have a green thumb or are a novice when it comes to seeds and soil, woven metal is supremely useful for growing vegetables. Garden wire mesh is durable, weather-resistant, environmentally friendly, and endlessly versatile.
Using Wire Mesh in the Garden: Your Complete Guide
Wire mesh products are available in a broad range of sizes, weaves, and finishes. In particular, corrosion-resistant stainless steel hardware cloth can hold up in extreme conditions for several years—sometimes even decades.
Read on for ideas and tips for using this material to plan your vegetable garden.
How Do You Put Chicken Wire in a Vegetable Garden?
Chicken wire is an excellent choice for helping grow viny vegetables and other tall crops, like pole beans and corn. From cages and cloches to composting and pest control, there are tons of ways to use it in the garden. Here's what you need to know.
Metal Mesh for Garden Cloches
Also known as poultry netting or hex mesh, chicken wire is often used to create tomato cages. You can also use it to make domed cages (also called cloches) for cucumbers, peas, and squash.
Cloches are dome- or bell-shaped covers that protect sprouts, seedlings, lettuce, strawberries, and other vulnerable crops from nibbling wildlife and curious pets. You can make your own using stainless steel poultry netting or another malleable wire mesh.
Wire Mesh Compost Bin
Outdoor compost bins are relatively easy to assemble.
Here's what you'll need:
Start by hammering the wooden post into the ground. Next, make a circular shape out of the wire mesh to see what length you need, then cut it so there's a few extra inches of slack.
Using pliers and heavy-duty wire, bind the ends to the post. While wearing gloves, press down firmly from the top until the hardware cloth is a couple inches into the ground.
Galvanized Wire Mesh for Garden Pest Control
No matter how advanced you are at growing veggies, getting them to flourish is incredibly tricky when pests are in the picture. But luckily, galvanized stainless steel hardware cloth is an eco-friendly, affordable solution.
The material can be used to exclude everything from mice and moles to snakes and rabbits. If you're in need of bird exclusion, chicken wire can keep them at bay.
Vertical Veggie Gardens
If you're an urban dweller or are short on outdoor space, consider planting a vertical vegetable garden using metal mesh. You can attach yours to a fence, the side of a shed, or the exterior of your home. Another option is to create a free-standing unit with a wooden frame and chicken wire backing.
Check out these 5 Wire Mesh Vertical Garden Ideas for more inspiration.
Decorative Outdoor Accents
Woven metal mesh offers more than just functionality in the garden. It can also be used for landscaping and smaller decorative accents. These include:
- Arches
- Fire pits
- Flower pots
- Gabions
- Light fixtures
- Sculptures
- Trellises
Metal Wire Mesh Products for Home & Garden
Founded in Berkeley, California, in 1969, TWP Inc. has been supplying DIYers with industrial-grade materials for over 50 years. If you want to help your plants grow, keep pests away, or add a decorative touch to your outdoor living space, you can't go wrong with wire mesh.
As one of the best metal mesh suppliers worldwide, we carry an impressive selection of materials with various wire diameters, opening sizes, and weave styles. If you don't see the size you need, TWP Inc. can accommodate custom orders. We also do in-house measuring, roll slitting, and laser cutting.
Order yours today or request a free quote to get started.
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