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Plant supports (make my own)

MeomyeMeomye Posts: 882
in Problem solving
I would like to make my own plant supports and have been looking for a supplier for steel reinforcing rods which I believe are known as 'rebar' but I have noticed that the ones I have looked at have a sort of rope effect whereas when you buy ready made supports they are smooth. Am I looking at the right thing? I was thinking 6mm thick is this ok? t.i.a. 
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  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 11,672
    I think the "rebars" are always roped, but I could be wrong!  I don't think it makes any difference to the plant supports. Did you see Monty making his own last year? Don't know whether GW have a video of that clip on their Projects page.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • MeomyeMeomye Posts: 882
    @lizzie27 thanks Lizzie, yes I have watched video several times and am keen to make my own, just trying to source materials.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,581
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSXkYNYuXhw
    does this help?
    Devon.
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 3,996
    May I point to this page on my garden site which shows Monty's method and my own:

    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,581
    If you got to ebay and enter metal rod you'll find suppliers.
    Devon.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,653
    5mm or 6mm metal rods for reinforcing concrete are valable form builders' suppliers.  Some are smooth but some have the rope effect.  It makes no difference to the plants and i reckon the rope effect is more attractive than the smooth ones - not that you get to see the for very long as they disappear into the plants they're holding.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    6mm rods I used. Trees or large pots can be used to form the half circle. I really like how they turn invisible once they are in the ground. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • MeomyeMeomye Posts: 882
    Thanks for tips and recommendations, still having a bit of a problem finding longish lengths, a lot of suppliers seem to do 1m lengths 
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 3,996
    Meomye said:
    Thanks for tips and recommendations, still having a bit of a problem finding longish lengths, a lot of suppliers seem to do 1m lengths 
    1m lengths? That's definitely not the stuff you want. You need to go to a building materials yard and get those 6 m long (or similar) that are used by builders to make reinforced concrete. And do get the 6mm diameter, just the right diameter to be easy to bend and tough enough to support plants. And the "rope" aspect is better than smooth too.
    You are invited to a virtual visit of my garden (in English or in French).
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,653
    5m lengths when I bought mine and, even tho I have my own bolt cutters, chappy at the yard cut them in 2 for me, thus making them the perfect length for bending into hoops on legs.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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