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Thickness of wire for Roses?

Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
in Tools and techniques
Hello, I'm planning to grow some climbing roses along my house wall.

What thickness of wire should I use between vine eyes to support the plants?

For my espalier apple tree I used 3mm wire rope with turnbuckles. I recently used 2.5mm galvanized wire from Screwfix to create horizontal supports with turnbuckles for a new Wisteria.

The 2.5mm stuff was cheap and sturdy, but also a bit awkward to manipulate. Especially if working with a lot of it and I will be for the roses.

There will be lots of short runs around French doors and windows so I'll be using more vine eyes at short regular intervals and twisting around those to get some tension rather than using turnbuckles. Otherwise I'll have to buy a silly amount of them and vine eyes are cheap. 

Will thinner galvanized wire or the PVC coated stuff be sufficient for supporting climbing roses?

East Yorkshire

Posts

  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Not sure of the gauge to use, thinner may be okay as you have shorter runs supported. Mine is thick but I don't have the label to say what it was now.
    I don't like to use pvc coated as when you stretch it,  if overstretched it causes damage to the coating. Plain galvanized is better, just personal opinion.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Just looked up my AT book on growing roses but he only mentions "strong" wire. It would probably depend on the variety of rose you wanted, as some climbers have quite strong stems and others are much more pliable. In the end it's probably your personal choice and your budget. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    Thank you both, I think i'll buy some 1.6mm galvanised wire as I need some for another job anyway and I'll see how that feels. If it doesn't suit then I'll buy some more 2.5mm and just have to accept that it'll take an age to tie it all in!
    East Yorkshire
  • alexwildliferescuealexwildliferescue Posts: 79
    Hello I was just wondering was the 1.6mm wire enough to support your climbing rose after ? Planing on putting climber on my wall and have the same size wire
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    1.6 was what Adam Frost used on a recent GW.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    As an alternative to wire it may be worth considering this -
    https://www.rivelinglenproducts.com/gripple-trellising-system-19-c.asp

    Years go I put in wire along a 50ft length of fence. Some 30 yrs later I needed to replace posts and the wires.
    I used the stuff above and it was a doddle - no fiddling with pliers.
    When the 'wire' needs re-tensioning every couple of years - just give it a pull and its done. It literally takes less than 5 seconds
    I now use if for my roses (about 50ft) and cordon pears (about 20ft)
    You'd need the trellis wire and tensioners.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    @alexwildliferescue - yes it's been fine
    East Yorkshire
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