THE CABIN HOUSE

we have a few animals that like to nibble on baby plant leaves. to keep the seedlings safe from their protection, we built some nifty little cages that are cheap, simple to build and easy to remove for watering and harvesting.

here's a quick run-down of how we did it:

supplies (for one cage to fit a 4'x4' box):
- 4 pieces of 10' pvc 1/2"pipe
- bird netting (this comes in a huge roll and is enough for at least 2, probably 4 boxes)
- zip-ties
- 4 pvc pipe 3-way connectors (1/2") (see photo)

total cost is roughly $20

instructions: - first you'll need to cut down two of those 10' pipes to 4 pieces that are 4' each. you'll end up with 2 extra bitty pieces, you won't need those.

- attach the 4, 3-way pipe fittings and connect your pieces to make a square - take one of your remaining 10' pipes, stick it one of the 3-way connectors and bend it to form an arc, securing it in the opposite connector (diagonally across from where you started). you'll need to have someone stand or hold the square down while you do this). - repeat with the last 10' pipe

- cover with the bird netting, i used zip ties to secure the net to the pvc pipe but you could use twist-ties or whatever else you'd prefer (fyi, i found this step to be the most time-consuming and annoying part of the process, be prepared to be slightly frustrated if you have any tendancy towards perfectionism)
- place on top of your box and you're done
if it doesn't rain this weekend, i'll working on our drip irrigation system. i snagged a few pictures of a pre-fab kit at home depot for some guidance. and after a very detailed explanation from a super helpful home depot employee (scott in plumbing at the high street location, thank you), it seems pretty straightforward. updates to follow....