Cord or string for vegetable trellising?

[mikehalmarack]

Hello, I'm going to screw vine eyes into a brick wall. they'll be placed in a square grid pattern and I'm hoping to find suitable string or cord to have one continuous run for the vertical lines and another for the horizontal lines. At the end of each run I want to put in a suitable hanging weight to maintain the right amount of tension throughout.

I've got all the parts except the string or cord. I was considering using strimmer cord, because it's there but I don't know what the expected behaviour or life expectancy of this would be when under tension and exposed to sunlight.

I visited a gardener recently who had bought several hundreds of metres of cord for espalier purposes. He'd bought 2 kind one coloured blue and one white. The white cord had disintegrated within a year, so there's obviously a danger in choosing the wrong stuff.

I think there is a tradition for using wire in these situations but ISTM that the string or cord method would lend itself better to being used as a continuous weighted thread.

Any advice on a suitable type of string or cord for this job?

[Broadback]

I have very strong (nylon?) string that I use to string my onions. The only downside is that you need to burn the breaks, not cut them, otherwise it frays like mad.

[harryagain]

I use fencing wire and turnbuckles to tension it. No problems.

[mark]

String changes length depending on if it is wet or dry. Tried it for my runner beans to grow up once. Not a good idea!

I'd go with coated wire.

mark

[Yendor]

I would think the replacement nylon washing lines you can get would be ideal. My one on my washing line is outside and has been under tension for 10 years

[mikehalmarack]

Can't really knock it for the price and now you mention it, it is quite strong stuff. I'll give it a try. Thanks.

[mikehalmarack]

I think I know the stuff you're describing. It is quite good for many purposes. I was seeking a super-strong option but that may be too fussy.

[mikehalmarack]

I live near a beach where there are lots of varying size pebbles and stones with holes through them. For years I've wanted to use strings of them for something useful. Weights on my trellis arrangement seems like a chance too good to miss.

[mikehalmarack]

That's why I want to use weights at the end of the line, to take up varying amounts of slack.

[Gordon Henderson]

Not a solution for you, but we have this stuff:

I suspect it's that or one of the variants that I see online now. Good for tieing up plants for the season, probably not good for many seasons!

(And we live in Devon, so it's nice to use something local!)

Gordon

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Gordon Henderson writes

Try these for netting

? ... ? Pea & Bean Netting

I have found the twine sold by ships chandlers for trawler nets long lasting in the garden.