On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:24:01 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote:

We initially used chestnut poles, as used in hop gardens, and they
lasted only 3-4 years before rotting through. I am not sure why they
were so much less durable here than in Kent, but suspect that real hop
gardens used pressure treated poles, and not dipped ones.

Interesting, those I've seen aren't treated at all. Even the thin posts
seem to last really well, we've got tons of old barbed wired on it, the
posts are still mostly reasonably sound after God knows how many years...

--
Gardening in Lower Normandy