"Corrals" Hold Potted Plants In Place

"Corrals" Hold Potted Plants In Place 34-2-7 Nursery and greenhouse owners will appreciate a simple idea by one of the finalists in this year's Farm Bureau invention contest. Kenneth Imel, of Greenup, Ky., uses cattle panels to keep plants in 1-gal. containers upright. "Recently we had 60 mph winds. Some of the taller plants leaned, but they didn't blow over," Imel says. He uses 2 by 4's for frames and staples the 54-in. by 16-ft. cattle panels on top with four 2 by 4 supports in between. "The pot corral will hold 192 1-gal. nursery pots when full," Imel says. The corrals save a lot of labor standing pots back up and reduce losses due to damaged plants. Pots regularly get knocked over due to wind, rain and even customers. Plants are also easier to water when the pots are secure in the panels. Imel has nearly 20 panels and plans to build more with a slight modification. He will cut off the 6-in. edge to make the panels 48 in. wide so there won't be any waste on the 2 by 4 center supports. It costs about $50 per corral using new materials. Imel places the corrals over weed mats to prevent weeds from growing through, and he plans to use them inside his greenhouses as well. Smaller versions of the corrals could be made to fit in vans or truck beds to secure plants being transported. When not needed, the corral panels stack easily for storage. "It's so simple, but it saves so much," Imel says. "The idea was a godsend. I've looked at plastic ones on the market, but they won't hold as many as these do. And the price is right." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kenneth Imel, Imels Greenhouse, 2836 St. R. 1, Greenup, Ky. 41144 (ph 606 473-5554; janna_imel@hotmail.com).

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