I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!
Anyone any suggestions?

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:24:29 +0100, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:

I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!
Anyone any suggestions?

You can buygreen plastic "canes" in garden centres. A friend of mine
has used them quite successfully. I'm not sure of size or price.

Pam in Bristol

Green knobbly plastic covered steel tubing is available in garden
centres but whether or not there are 4 ft lengths. . . . . The ones I have
are 2
metres long.

Geoff

Charlie Pridham writes
I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!

Fibreglass. I'd have thought the plastic suggestions would be cheaper.
--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...
Charlie Pridham writes
I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!

Fibreglass. I'd have thought the plastic suggestions would be cheaper.
--
Kay

Thanks for that I thought they might be.
If they last then price is not so important (although I need around 240 of
them!)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
Green knobbly plastic covered steel tubing is available in garden
centres but whether or not there are 4 ft lengths. . . . . The ones I
have
are 2
metres long.

Geoff

I will take a look but I am not sure they will flex like a bamboo.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:24:29 +0100, "Charlie Pridham"
wrote:

I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!
Anyone any suggestions?

You can buygreen plastic "canes" in garden centres. A friend of mine
has used them quite successfully. I'm not sure of size or price.

Pam in Bristol

The ones I have seen have been shorter, but I will try googling and see if
anyone one has longer ones.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"K" wrote in message
...
Charlie Pridham writes
I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the
rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no
idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!

Do what I did.
Look in Yellow Pages for a local Steel Stockist or Metal Stockist. They
should be able to supply any diameter cut to your length requirements.
Last year I bought a bundle of 5mm dia X 5ft long mild steel rods to use
as general purpose stakes at a very reasonable price.....and they will
outlast me !! The only downside is rust, but its no problem for me cos I
just wipe them with an oily rag prior to use.
This year I've bought some 9mm dia X 10ft long stainless steel rods for
my runner beans. Pricey but they will last for ever. A friend bought
some cheap redundant stock aluminium rectangular tubing (I'm guessing
about 30mm X 8mm) for his beans.
p.pleater.

"p. pleater" wrote in message
...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"K" wrote in message
...
Charlie Pridham writes
I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis. the
rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have no
idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!

Do what I did.
Look in Yellow Pages for a local Steel Stockist or Metal Stockist. They
should be able to supply any diameter cut to your length requirements.
Last year I bought a bundle of 5mm dia X 5ft long mild steel rods to use
as general purpose stakes at a very reasonable price.....and they will
outlast me !! The only downside is rust, but its no problem for me cos I
just wipe them with an oily rag prior to use.
This year I've bought some 9mm dia X 10ft long stainless steel rods for
my runner beans. Pricey but they will last for ever. A friend bought
some cheap redundant stock aluminium rectangular tubing (I'm guessing
about 30mm X 8mm) for his beans.
p.pleater.


Yes, I can get hold of metal but I should have said in the first place that
weight is an issue and they must be light weight.
I have since posting discovered model makers use glass fibre rods of exactly
the right diameter and colour (cheap too!) but unfortunately the standard
size is 1M and I need 1.2M (4') so I will have to keep looking. I may end up
having to join some.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"p. pleater" wrote in message
...

Look in Yellow Pages for a local Steel Stockist or Metal Stockist. They
should be able to supply any diameter cut to your length requirements.
Last year I bought a bundle of 5mm dia X 5ft long mild steel rods to use
as general purpose stakes at a very reasonable price.....and they will
outlast me !! The only downside is rust, but its no problem for me cos I
just wipe them with an oily rag prior to use.
This year I've bought some 9mm dia X 10ft long stainless steel rods for my
runner beans. Pricey but they will last for ever. A friend bought some
cheap redundant stock aluminium rectangular tubing (I'm guessing about
30mm X 8mm) for his beans.
p.pleater.

Spouse uses mild steel bar, rod and tubing for various applications. Some
years ago I asked for offcuts of rod to use to stake the outdoor tomatoes.
They were perfect, they haven't rusted more than over the surface and will
certainly outlast us. They're far better than bamboo because they never
split, never break and take up far less room when stored. They're almost
invisible too.
The only problem of using rods was protection for my face when I was tending
the plants. He drilled suitable holes in the base of champagne corks which
were fitted on the upper ends of the rods. I've kept them and re-used them
ever since, any which split (two to date) give an excuse for opening another
bottle ...

Aluminium is a more difficult metal. In the same way as slugs don't like
copper my runner beans don't seem to like Al. I have to force them into
climbing, they try to avoid touching the metal. Once they're made to climb
they're fine.

Mary

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"p. pleater" wrote in message
...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"K" wrote in message
...
Charlie Pridham writes
I need some 4' canes that won't rot for use in display clematis.
the
rods
that make modern tents stay up would be pretty good except I have
no
idea
what they are made from or called to google for them!

Do what I did.
Look in Yellow Pages for a local Steel Stockist or Metal Stockist.
They
should be able to supply any diameter cut to your length
requirements.
Last year I bought a bundle of 5mm dia X 5ft long mild steel rods to
use
as general purpose stakes at a very reasonable price.....and they
will
outlast me !! The only downside is rust, but its no problem for me
cos I
just wipe them with an oily rag prior to use.
This year I've bought some 9mm dia X 10ft long stainless steel rods
for
my runner beans. Pricey but they will last for ever. A friend bought
some cheap redundant stock aluminium rectangular tubing (I'm guessing
about 30mm X 8mm) for his beans.
p.pleater.


Yes, I can get hold of metal but I should have said in the first place
that
weight is an issue and they must be light weight.
I have since posting discovered model makers use glass fibre rods of
exactly
the right diameter and colour (cheap too!) but unfortunately the
standard
size is 1M and I need 1.2M (4') so I will have to keep looking. I may
end up
having to join some.

What about .....Kite maker suppliers, Aerial makers, Fishing Rod
manufacturers.....I have a cheep sea-angling rod which is made of
lengths of solid fibreglass.
p. pleater.

Mary Fisher writes


Aluminium is a more difficult metal. In the same way as slugs don't like
copper my runner beans don't seem to like Al. I have to force them into
climbing, they try to avoid touching the metal.

I'm not surprised - for many years, saucepans were made of aluminium ;-)
--
Kay

The message
from K contains these words:

Mary Fisher writes


Aluminium is a more difficult metal. In the same way as slugs don't like
copper my runner beans don't seem to like Al. I have to force them into
climbing, they try to avoid touching the metal.

I'm not surprised - for many years, saucepans were made of aluminium ;-)

Ah, maybe that's part of my bean problem - what's chicken wire made of??
I bet it is Al. perhaps I should chance it for some more of the plastic
stuff.

beryl

"Beryl Harwood" wrote in message
...
The message
from K contains these words:

Mary Fisher writes


Aluminium is a more difficult metal. In the same way as slugs don't
like
copper my runner beans don't seem to like Al. I have to force them into
climbing, they try to avoid touching the metal.

I'm not surprised - for many years, saucepans were made of aluminium ;-)

Ah, maybe that's part of my bean problem - what's chicken wire made of??
I bet it is Al. perhaps I should chance it for some more of the plastic
stuff.

beryl

Its zinc coated steel/iron

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"K" wrote in message
...
Charlie Pridham writes

Do what I did.
Look in Yellow Pages for a local Steel Stockist or Metal Stockist.
They
should be able to supply any diameter cut to your length
requirements.
Last year I bought a bundle of 5mm dia X 5ft long mild steel rods to
use
as general purpose stakes at a very reasonable price.....and they
will
outlast me !! The only downside is rust, but its no problem for me
cos I
just wipe them with an oily rag prior to use.
This year I've bought some 9mm dia X 10ft long stainless steel rods
for
my runner beans. Pricey but they will last for ever. A friend bought
some cheap redundant stock aluminium rectangular tubing (I'm guessing
about 30mm X 8mm) for his beans.
p.pleater.


Yes, I can get hold of metal but I should have said in the first place
that
weight is an issue and they must be light weight.
I have since posting discovered model makers use glass fibre rods of
exactly
the right diameter and colour (cheap too!) but unfortunately the
standard
size is 1M and I need 1.2M (4') so I will have to keep looking. I may
end up
having to join some.

What about .....Kite maker suppliers, Aerial makers, Fishing Rod
manufacturers.....I have a cheep sea-angling rod which is made of
lengths of solid fibreglass.
p. pleater.

That's what I have found, now negotiating for 4' lengths instead of the 1M
they all seem to sell, I need 240 of them so am trying to look for a good
price per rod (wholesale seems to be around .35 euros, but a lot of the
retailers are charging over £1)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea