# A fast-growing, climbing, non-toxic annual...



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I'm considering planting around the chicken run to provide shade. The run is southern orientated, but luckily has the large barn on one side. So from morning until just after noon, that run gets nailed with the sun. The chickens hide in the coop panting.

I would like to avoid a tarp, just because of water collection and just plain looks. ((The coop and barn are pretty much the centerpiece to the whole property))

So I'm torn between planting a vine or just buying a kennel shade cloth. Might even do a little of both. It is just too darn hot here to not have plenty of shade. Trees are out of the question, because the goats and cows would make short work of it and if planted on the side where I hope to plant the vines, it would just plain be in the way. (About 30 feet of the run has goat/cow pasture on the side, the adjacent side it the barn wall, the back of the run is the coop, and the front 6' is the door and about 4' of fence-which is the only protected planting side)

So.. Any suggestions for a non-toxic, fast growing vine, that will die off when the frost hits it? I prefer an annual, just for control measures. Honeysuckle and grapevines, just run rampant here and if allowed to take hold, are only killed off by constant trimming, hacking, poisoning, and burning. Also, if it dies off in frost, the sun gets to work it's magic in winter when it is more than welcomed by the chickens.

So I want a fast growing but not something that I will regret for years to come. It's a full sun location and gets plenty of water.

Shade is the primary goal. Beautication comes second, so something that looks good and/or smells nice is a plus, but not necessary.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

old fashioned nasturtiums fit the bill perfectly- I plant them at the base of apple trees and they grow up them, confuse pests, are edible (peppery) and pretty. Should work well for your chicken fence, unsure if the chickens will eat it though. Mine never did, but they seem to have weird tastes....

Actually, this is a great idea. I think I'm gonna plant some on my new chicken fence too. Can't wait to see what everyone else suggests.


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## bantams (Sep 7, 2003)

Check out Silver Lace Vine. It can grow 12-20 feet in a season, but dies back every year and regrows in the spring.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

honey suckle, depending on where you are located it may even stay green all year provideing shade and shelter even in winter,


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Runner beans,,edible flowers and beans, attracts hummingbirds and in your zone may over winter the roots and re-sprout in the spring.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Hops make a nice thick shady vine and then die off in the cold. Come back each spring and you can take starts off of it for other areas.


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## Ellen West (Sep 17, 2010)

Hyacinth beans are easy to find and grow, beautiful in flower and pod, edible, as are scarlet runner beans. Hops are nice if you can get you hands on them.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Bee and Ellen West beat me to it - another vote for Scarlet Runner beans here.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Sunflowers aren't a vine, but they do grow tall and shady. Then you can provide shade as well as seeds for them to eat later.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

OHHHH!!!! Sunflowers AND Runner Beans!! Gotta plant me some sunflowers for my just coming up runner beans to climb on!


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## Cascade Failure (Jan 30, 2007)

bee said:


> OHHHH!!!! Sunflowers AND Runner Beans!! Gotta plant me some sunflowers for my just coming up runner beans to climb on!


Don't know if they're toxic but perhaps something like morning glories added to the mix?


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I got a couple of suggestions for Black Eyed Susan Vines and Night Blooming Jasmine as well, just in case someone searches later wanting similar answers. 

We have wild growing morning glories here and they would have been my first choice, but the seeds they produce can have toxic effects. A serious plant friend of mine that if you use a particular variety, they won't produce seeds, thus limiting the toxic effect.

All these wonderful suggestions, I could plant a whole garden up on the chicken coop. LOL

Oh and I priced shade cloth, it priced out about $60-80 for a 10'X10', so I think I'll just stick with some green shadery.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Not an annual but I planted a few thornless blackberries on one side of my rabbit run. I have some pole beans I was going to plant along the fence too. Sweet potatoes would be another annual vine you could plant.


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## 10kids (Jun 24, 2010)

I have the same situation, have thought about Hollyhocks for mine.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Just thought of some more, melons, gourds and cucumbers.


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## Nette (Aug 17, 2003)

Cherry tomatoes. And once you plant 'em, you have 'em forever! They volunteer around my chicken run, and spread so much that I don't even bother with the tarp anymore.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Tomatoes wouldn't work if ya actually want tomatoes- if they are just additional food for the chickens, cool idea
Chickens would also eat the melons, gourds, cukes

I'm loving all these suggestions- definitely gonna steal some of them for my chicken fence!!


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Luck would have it that we had a random packet of Black Eyed Susan vines laying around that another family member bought and didn't do anything with.

I still think I am going to order some of the Night-Blooming Jasmine. It definitely wouldn't hurt to let something with some nice perfume grow over the coop. Sometimes when we get a lot of rain, the barnyard can smell, well like a muddy barnyard. I nice canopy of jasmine, I bet would cover a lot of that scent. 

I'll have to keep all these great suggestions in mind. Maybe switch them out year to year.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Martha Stewart grows roses along her chicken coop.....
I grew squash up the sides of the pen one year, but the chickens didn't eat them at all.

Now I think I want a chicken pen so I can grow some vines on it!!!


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Callieslamb said:


> Martha Stewart grows roses along her chicken coop.....
> I grew squash up the sides of the pen one year, but the chickens didn't eat them at all.
> 
> Now I think I want a chicken pen so I can grow some vines on it!!!




Wow, my chickens LOVE squash and would have decimated anything they could get to. I bet the roses are pretty (and a good deterrant towards predators).


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