This weekend has been all about making Coir Poles for my planties.
Originally, I figured I only needed to make one or two and then keep the left over of what I bought, for later. Haha, nope! I always get carried away. I need more coir to finish a few off and then all my climbing plants are set.
For just over $30 I made;
9x Sml 30cm,
7x Med 60cm
3x Lrg 100cm.
I did some rough pricing of pre-made poles and the same would have cost over $100 to buy. I would rather make my own and spend that $70 on a new plant!
The products I used were bought at my local Bunnings. The Lrg ones are made with pre-cut PVC Pipe ($1.99 but cheaper uncut.) in the centre and the other sizes have bamboo ($3 for a pack of 12). I also used fishing line ($2-3) and coir basket liner ($17.95).
I chose coir and bamboo because they are a more sustainable product than Sphagnum moss and wood. Coir is simply a byproduct of the coconut industry, while sphagnum is a limited and slow growing resource. I have made one sphagnum pole with moss that has come with plants I have bought online. It was better than wasting it.
As much as I would like to avoid plastics, I chose PVC and Fishing line because they will last, not rot and will be either reusable or recyclable. The large poles are intended to last the plant a longtime and that’s why I went this way, while he smaller poles only need to be temporary.
*I was very careful to put any off cuts of fishing line in a pile and then the bin to avoid it being picked up by any birds or animals.
I’ve gotten quite fast at making them now. To speed up the process, I suggest having something to help with holding the coir in place while you tie it on. I used a clamp that I have for holding the shade cloth on my greenhouse.
Now that I have gotten the hang of it, I will do a “How To” post of how I make mine. So stay tuned!
Thanks for reading and happy growing.
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