How do you get bamboo culms into the ground as supports? - Page 3

Worth1 · February 12, 2017

I'm leery of the tractor supply stuff.
To me it is mostly just junk made in China.
The steel is of poor quality weak and rusts out fast compared to the old T posts of yore made in the US.

Worth

ContainerTed · February 12, 2017

Yeah, Worth, I hear you on the quality thing. But, I figure it this way. I'm not building a fence and I ain't constructing any bridges. Even that Chinese Junk (pun intended) will hold up a tomato plant.

Worth1 · February 12, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

Yeah, Worth, I hear you on the quality thing. But, I figure it this way. I'm not building a fence and I ain't constructing any bridges. Even that Chinese Junk (pun intended) will hold up a tomato plant.

All of mine are from there from a long time ago.
They dont sell that brand anymore.
My idea on a T post is a ten foot one if you can afford them.

Mine are still up from last year and will stay up.
1 Inch EMT conduit 10 feet long is about 2/3 the price of a ten foot T post.

pmcgrady · February 12, 2017

What about using a cordless drill with a bulb auger bit (for planting flower bulbs). That should almost get them 1 foot in the ground, then drive them in the other foot.

PhilaGardener · February 12, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmcgrady

What about using a cordless drill with a bulb auger bit (for planting flower bulbs). That should almost get them 1 foot in the ground, then drive them in the other foot.

Interesting idea- there are drill extension bits that might get you further down.

Worth1 · February 12, 2017

Don't ask more of a cordless drill than they can deliver.
Not a bad idea but be easy on it
Some of the more high powered ones like mine will break your wrist if you are not careful.
This is why I always use the clutch settings.
My big 120 drill has an extra handle because it will hurt you big time.
Worth

kurt · February 14, 2017

Check for irrigation/electrical conduits,Seems like you always hit one when augering.

Father'sDaughter · February 14, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurt

Check for irrigation/electrical conduits,Seems like you always hit one when augering.

Good reminder!

Unfortunately, I know exactly where the irrigation line under my raised beds is...

throwaway · May 30, 2017

Update on how I did it.

Banged these electric fence posts (http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD-...183A/202025622) a foot or two with post slammer. The cavity on decent sized culms is larger than the girth of the circular post, so the culms slide right over. Nothing really holding the culm in place but gravity and ~3 feet of steel post in the cavity, but it seems to be fairly stable for a 6ft-7ft culm - anything more it might be too wobbly. Anyway, culms just touch the ground, never into the ground, and I'll probably keep mulch in between them and the soil. Hopefully this extends their useful life for at least a couple of seasons! Those posts are cheap and the method was pain-free.

zipcode · May 30, 2017

My grandmother had a 'thing' for making holes for stakes (we used quite high stakes for beans) made from a railway track, about 1.2 meters long, made pointy at the end (not sure who did it, it was quite nicely made). The thing was gosh darnoodley heavy.
The thing is, the heavier, the better actually. My aunt had a much punier one, and even though it was much easier to use, it was so much slower to make the holes that it was actually way worse (and you had to use as much force you could to push it down).
The rail track did everything by gravitation and not much force otherwise necessary.

imp · May 30, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by throwaway

Update on how I did it.

Banged these electric fence posts (http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD-...183A/202025622) a foot or two with post slammer. The cavity on decent sized culms is larger than the girth of the circular post, so the culms slide right over. Nothing really holding the culm in place but gravity and ~3 feet of steel post in the cavity, but it seems to be fairly stable for a 6ft-7ft culm - anything more it might be too wobbly. Anyway, culms just touch the ground, never into the ground, and I'll probably keep mulch in between them and the soil. Hopefully this extends their useful life for at least a couple of seasons! Those posts are cheap and the method was pain-free.

Good idea! If you are worried about making the bamboo last longer, try painting them after they are dry.

February 12, 2017	#32
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Yeah, Worth, I hear you on the quality thing. But, I figure it this way. I'm not building a fence and I ain't constructing any bridges. Even that Chinese Junk (pun intended) will hold up a tomato plant. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

February 14, 2017	#37
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	Check for irrigation/electrical conduits,Seems like you always hit one when augering. __________________ KURT

February 12, 2017	#31
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I'm leery of the tractor supply stuff. To me it is mostly just junk made in China. The steel is of poor quality weak and rusts out fast compared to the old T posts of yore made in the US. Worth

February 12, 2017	#34
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	What about using a cordless drill with a bulb auger bit (for planting flower bulbs). That should almost get them 1 foot in the ground, then drive them in the other foot.

May 30, 2017	#39
throwaway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Zone 6 Posts: 92	Update on how I did it. Banged these electric fence posts (http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD-...183A/202025622) a foot or two with post slammer. The cavity on decent sized culms is larger than the girth of the circular post, so the culms slide right over. Nothing really holding the culm in place but gravity and ~3 feet of steel post in the cavity, but it seems to be fairly stable for a 6ft-7ft culm - anything more it might be too wobbly. Anyway, culms just touch the ground, never into the ground, and I'll probably keep mulch in between them and the soil. Hopefully this extends their useful life for at least a couple of seasons! Those posts are cheap and the method was pain-free.

May 30, 2017	#40
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	My grandmother had a 'thing' for making holes for stakes (we used quite high stakes for beans) made from a railway track, about 1.2 meters long, made pointy at the end (not sure who did it, it was quite nicely made). The thing was gosh darnoodley heavy. The thing is, the heavier, the better actually. My aunt had a much punier one, and even though it was much easier to use, it was so much slower to make the holes that it was actually way worse (and you had to use as much force you could to push it down). The rail track did everything by gravitation and not much force otherwise necessary.