I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

Tina

On Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:26:06 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:

I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

I never have, but I remember the late lamented Geoffrey Smith
suggesting using _fresh_ buddleia prunings as pea or bean (can't
remember) sticks, because with luck you'd get some new buddleias into
the bargain.

--
Mike.

On 28/09/2011 22:26, Christina Websell wrote:
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

Tina





Not Buddleia, but I've used other prunings to advantage. Exochorda
macrantha cuttings bundled together for insect roosts (they are
similarly hollow-stemmed with joints); Spindle tree cuttings (nice and
straight) for stakes; birch cuttings used as twiggy pea sticks.

I've never used Buddleia (unless I wanted a cutting) because I thought
they might take over the garden but, used dry as you have done, makes
perfect sense.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Sep 28, 10:26*pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

Tina

Most species that are big enough can be used this way. If rooting isnt
wanted, either pull the ones that root up, or plant them upside down.


NT

On Sep 28, 10:26*pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

Tina

Stuff is best put in the shredder green, A lot less wear on the
shredder cutter.

In article ,
NT wrote:
On Sep 28, 10:26=A0pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last ye=
ar,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that ho=
le
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will k=
eep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

Most species that are big enough can be used this way. If rooting isnt
wanted, either pull the ones that root up, or plant them upside down.

Except for plants that will tip-in, of course :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , Christina Websell
writes
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

I tried using them for runner beans this summer. It didn't work. The
base of the buddleia sticks rotted, and the runner beans collapsed. I
leant the runner beans against a lilac, but they didn't properly recover
from the shock, and cropped poorly.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:11:05 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
NT wrote:
On Sep 28, 10:26=A0pm, "Christina Websell"
wrote:
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last ye=
ar,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that ho=
le
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will k=
eep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

Most species that are big enough can be used this way. If rooting isnt
wanted, either pull the ones that root up, or plant them upside down.

Except for plants that will tip-in, of course :-)

Which calls to mind oine of my father's anecdotes of Queensland rural
life. For some reason, a boy resented the primary-school project of
bedding out some plants brought on in pots, and complained about the
failure of an ill-starred attempt at sabotage: "I cuts their flamin
roots off; I plants them upside-down; and still the *******s grow!".

--
Mike.

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , Christina Websell
writes
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last
year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that
hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will
keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

I tried using them for runner beans this summer. It didn't work. The base
of the buddleia sticks rotted, and the runner beans collapsed. I leant the
runner beans against a lilac, but they didn't properly recover from the
shock, and cropped poorly.


Hmm, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, as they seemed so hard
and strong.
It was one of those "why didn't I think of this before?" moments!
Perhaps I'll just use them for pea sticks or plant supports where it's not
so critical.
Thanks.

Tina

In message , Christina Websell
writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , Christina Websell
writes
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last
year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that
hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will
keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

I tried using them for runner beans this summer. It didn't work. The base
of the buddleia sticks rotted, and the runner beans collapsed. I leant the
runner beans against a lilac, but they didn't properly recover from the
shock, and cropped poorly.


Hmm, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, as they seemed so hard
and strong.
It was one of those "why didn't I think of this before?" moments!
Perhaps I'll just use them for pea sticks or plant supports where it's not
so critical.

I've used them to stake plants in pots before without too much trouble;
what was different this time was I was keeping the pot with the runner
beans in well watered since runner beans are (I am informed) thirsty
plants.

Thanks.

Tina




--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , Christina Websell
writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , Christina Websell
writes
I'd got some long 6-9ft drying upright to go in the shredder from last
year,
but when I came to do it today they looked as good as bamboo with that
hole
up the middle so I broke all the twiggie bits off for kindling and will
keep
them for bean sticks.
They seem quite strong, has anyone used them in this way?

I tried using them for runner beans this summer. It didn't work. The
base
of the buddleia sticks rotted, and the runner beans collapsed. I leant
the
runner beans against a lilac, but they didn't properly recover from the
shock, and cropped poorly.


Hmm, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, as they seemed so hard
and strong.
It was one of those "why didn't I think of this before?" moments!
Perhaps I'll just use them for pea sticks or plant supports where it's not
so critical.

I've used them to stake plants in pots before without too much trouble;
what was different this time was I was keeping the pot with the runner
beans in well watered since runner beans are (I am informed) thirsty
plants.

Ah, now this is a different thing if you had runner beans in a pot.
I grow my runner beans in the ground and I dig a deep trench for them and
fill the bottom of it with newspapers, vacuum cleanings, some compost and
anything else that will get their roots down into stuff that takes water up.
They so need lots of water.