In the past I bought "canes" which were steel covered in plastic with
knurled surfaces.

I know that they are quite expensive - but I wondered if anyone knows
of a good supplier of them - I am thinking 2.4m long (for runner
beans) - expecting they will outlast me !!!!

On 5/5/08 14:57, in article ,
"judith" wrote:



In the past I bought "canes" which were steel covered in plastic with
knurled surfaces.

I know that they are quite expensive - but I wondered if anyone knows
of a good supplier of them - I am thinking 2.4m long (for runner
beans) - expecting they will outlast me !!!!

If you're going to cut back your laurel hedge, couldn't you use the
trimmings (if long enough) as supports?

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Mon, 05 May 2008 18:22:42 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 5/5/08 14:57, in article ,
"judith" wrote:



In the past I bought "canes" which were steel covered in plastic with
knurled surfaces.

I know that they are quite expensive - but I wondered if anyone knows
of a good supplier of them - I am thinking 2.4m long (for runner
beans) - expecting they will outlast me !!!!

If you're going to cut back your laurel hedge, couldn't you use the
trimmings (if long enough) as supports?


Good point - but it is the width of the laurel hedge I am cutting back
- it is only 4ft high - and about 3 ft wide - I am making it 4 ft high
and 18 inches wide

On 5/5/08 18:43, in article ,
"judith" wrote:

On Mon, 05 May 2008 18:22:42 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 5/5/08 14:57, in article ,
"judith" wrote:



In the past I bought "canes" which were steel covered in plastic with
knurled surfaces.

I know that they are quite expensive - but I wondered if anyone knows
of a good supplier of them - I am thinking 2.4m long (for runner
beans) - expecting they will outlast me !!!!

If you're going to cut back your laurel hedge, couldn't you use the
trimmings (if long enough) as supports?


Good point - but it is the width of the laurel hedge I am cutting back
- it is only 4ft high - and about 3 ft wide - I am making it 4 ft high
and 18 inches wide

Okay. Scrub that one. ;-))
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Mon, 05 May 2008 14:57:32 +0100, judith
wrote:



In the past I bought "canes" which were steel covered in plastic with
knurled surfaces.

I know that they are quite expensive - but I wondered if anyone knows
of a good supplier of them - I am thinking 2.4m long (for runner
beans) - expecting they will outlast me !!!!


I know the chap who owns a company that made those supports. They have
given up on that product because they were only selling a few hundred
a month. He doesn't know any other manufacturers.

If they are not made ay more, could you find a company that will dip
coat steel rods for you? - I am thinking of concrete re-inforcing bar -
it usually has a spiral surface. You would however have to removethe
surface rust first.

AFAIK having seen it on a small scale in a school technology department,
it involves putting the heated object in a fluid bed (container with air
blown through it) of polythene beads

Malcolm