Author Topic: Bottles on canes.....what for? (Read 18527 times)

Digitalis · « **on:** May 20, 2009, 22:44:14 »

Most of my neighbouring plots have lots of canes in odd places, with empty plastic bottles on them.

What on Earth for?

They have nothing growing up them, from what I can see.

Some even have pill bottles on them!

asbean · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2009, 22:50:47 »

I have some too - various reasons - they rattle around and help keep off pigeons, or they protect eyes. And they prop up netting, so it's useful to have a few extra around, just in case.

delboy · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2009, 00:04:37 »

As it 'appens it is a quasi-legal requirement under EU laws - all to do with public liability..

.. and it does help to scare off birds and other pests when they move..

hellohelenhere · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2009, 01:03:01 »

Most of my cane ends are covered, either with bottles, or with bottle caps (I squish them on with a pair of pliers, works a treat). The other day, I was picking some greens, and gouged my arm on one of the *very* few uncovered canes. Still, better my arm than my eye. But they are near impossible to see from above.

I'd like to get some of those 'ball pool' balls to cover all my sticks - I do have a few old tennis balls in use and they look much better than bottles.

The other reason for them, C&D, is if you put netting over your beds, the bottles offer enough area to support the net without poking through it, and as they're smooth, it won't catch. I've taken all my nets off lately - which may prove foolish - saw another cabbage white butterfly today. :)

skyblu · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2009, 07:50:25 »

I wish our neighbour used them - our plots are only separated by an 18 inch grass path and a couple of weeks ago, putting up our fruit cage, I managed to impale my thumb on one of his snapped off canes. Very large splinter went in beside my nail bed and emerged the other side of my thumb - ouch indeed!

Ours too are for the multiple reasons listed

davyw1 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2009, 08:50:26 »

Some cut flaps up the side, bend them back so the wind catches them an makes them spin round causing them to make a rattling noise,

shirlton · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2009, 08:51:34 »

Ower Tone had one go up his nose (very nasty) My daughters 3 kiddies come on to our plot and I would dread any one of them having their eye gouged out.I use a mixture of yakult bottles and fruit shoot bottles and also some play balls.

hellohelenhere · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2009, 13:23:08 »

Ow ow ow to cane accidents! :/

Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!) · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2009, 13:48:09 »

i love the gentle clanking as I work the plot - reminds me of the seaside for some reason...

twinkletoes · « **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2009, 14:04:05 »

Hellohelenhere - I've got those "pool balls" - I got 20 in a bag for 99p in the 99p shop. I have also heard that Asda were doing a two for the price of one offer on them - think they were in boxes of 100. I heated up a skewer and made some holes then cut out the shape of my post (using 3cm x 1.5cm) battons. Put them on to stop the wood tearing the netting. Works a treat.
twinkletoes

Barnowl · « **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2009, 14:23:59 »

I've used old tennis balls (just make a small slit or hole in them). Being fluorescent they looked pretty distinctive to begin with, but I have to say that after two or three years they're beginning to look a bit manky.

Unwashed · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2009, 16:21:34 »

It's more effective than a sign saying "please don't walk on my beds"

Bjerreby · « **Reply #12 on:** May 23, 2009, 14:38:34 »

Somebody should have insisted our Headmaster put a bottle on the end of HIS cane for health and safety reasons............it would have reduced the bruising of my buttocks on several occasions. :-X

hellohelenhere · « **Reply #13 on:** May 23, 2009, 18:06:18 »

Thanks for the tip, twinkletoes - I'll try the 99p shops! Balls are strangely hard to find, these days - toy sections (e.g. Tesco) have a million action figures but remarkably little of the basics.

Barnowl, you don't mean 'manky', surely, you mean 'tastefully aged'... :D

1066 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 26, 2009, 08:02:06 »

Quote from: Psi on May 21, 2009, 13:48:09

i love the gentle clanking as I work the plot - reminds me of the seaside for some reason...

:) like the sound of the wind on boat masts and flag poles

Digeroo · « **Reply #15 on:** May 26, 2009, 08:26:16 »

Wonderful. I have been wondering how to stop some plastic/fleece protection being damaged by canes. Have a few old tennis balls but no eough.

You can also cut the plastic bottles so they have fins stickling out so the whirl round in the wind. But this did not deter the pigeons from devastating the tops of my pea plants last year.

BarriedaleNick · « **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2009, 09:37:19 »

we are lucky enough to have a tennis coach on our site so as a consequence after the last communal day our site looked like we were growing some strange gright yellow fruits everywhere!

Kea · « **Reply #17 on:** May 29, 2009, 18:29:29 »

I got a pack of 100 (or was it 50 ???) from Sainsbury's last weekend £4-99 with 25% off. Came in a zipped plastic container cube bag that I can probably also use as a mini green house :)

hellohelenhere · « **Reply #18 on:** May 29, 2009, 18:42:30 »

Play balls or tennis balls, was that, Kea? I quite like the idea of the multicoloured play balls, specially if I can get girly colours rather than red, blue and yellow. :)

shirlton · « **Reply #19 on:** May 29, 2009, 19:53:45 »

(You can also cut the plastic bottles so they have fins stickling out so the whirl round in the wind.) posted by Digeroo. Read this and tried it but they just blew off the canes ;D

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Author Topic: Bottles on canes.....what for? (Read 18527 times)