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PVC Pipe Garden Cover
I’ve definitely learned a lot about gardening this past year!! The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that there are 500 things that can go wrong in a garden. One of my biggest battles is with the birds and squirrels eating all of my yummy treats! My second biggest battle is with the intense Texas sun and my third greatest battle is with the random snowfall we get in Texas. To solve all of these issues, I’ve invested in a DIY PVC Pipe Garden Cover. The DIY PVC Pipe Garden Cover will be used as a frame for which I’ll use to cover with different material depending on the season. In the spring I’ll use bird netting, in the summer I’ll use a shade tarp, and in the winter I’ll use a tarp for frost protections.
Supplies for PVC Pipe Garden Cover
- 1 inch PVC Pipe (200 PSI)
- 1 inch PVC Tee Pipe
- 1 inch PVC 3-Way Pipe
- PVC Pipe Cutter
- PVC Primer and Cement
- Garden Netting
- Frost Blanket
- Shade Cover
- PVC Pipe Clamps
- Ground Stakes
- Zip Ties
I made my PVC Pipe Garden Cover super big so it ended up costing me about $180 total. Definitely not within my original budget but I’m looking at it as an investment. My PVC Pipe Garden Cover will last for years and years, so I’ll be getting plenty of use out of it.
STEP 1: Measure & Design
Start your PVC Pipe Garden Cover by measuring your current garden. Then you’ll want to add about a foot to each side (width, length, and height) for your design. You need to plan for plant growth so you don’t have to rebuild your garden cover every year.
I also recommend adding supports every 5 feet so your PVC doesn’t start to bow over time.
Here’s my design, but your design may vary based on your garden size and plans:
STEP 2: Cut PVC
I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to cut the PVC myself, but it was actually super easy. I measured each piece of PVC, marked the PVC with a sharpie, and then cut it with a PVC pipe cutter.
Step 3: Attach the PVC
Attach the PVC using the Tee Pipe and 3-Way pipe fittings. Once you know everything fits together, then go back and add the PVC cement. I only added the PVC cement to certain sections. I didn’t use the PVC cement on every piece because I want to take my garden cover down during certain seasons.
Step 4: Stake Frame
Use J stakes to attach your frame to the ground. You don’t want your garden cover to blow away with the first storm that comes around. There are several different methods to attach your frame to the ground but I felt like this method was easy and affordable.
Step 5: Attach the Netting
There are two different methods you can use to attach the netting to your frame. I attached the netting using zip ties, which is super easy and budget friendly. I then used PVC Clamps to attach one side, which can easily be removed when needed. I remove the PVC Clamps any time I want to get inside of my garden cover to work on my plants. You can use PVC Clamps to attach all of the netting, but the PVC clamps are more expensive than zip ties. I wish I would’ve done the PVC Clamps to attach all of the netting but my project was already over budget (but maybe next year I’ll upgrade it).
I love my DIY PVC Pipe Garden Cover and I hope you enjoy learning from my experiences. I can’t wait for my blueberry garden to take off this year so I can make plenty of Blueberry Delight!!
