there aren't any knots in the wires so twist-ties etc. will just slide down them. I think everyone who uses natural canes makes use of the width of nodes to stop the whole plant
I agree with you but what you are not aware of is that I prepared these beds for 10 people who did not have greenhouse/ tunnels not for me! All I wanted to do was supply them with a means of support in lieu of the 6-8 ft canes they used before with the results I described.
In other words once they got their beds they could look after them as they wished.
In the first year that these bed erected only 7 beds were used so I took the other 3 rather than let them become full of weeds.
I found the wires very useful and found that subject to how you fitted your twist tie they would as you say 'slide down ' the wire but not if you first twisted the tie tightly around the wire first then subsequently tied in the plant.( I have also used this method of tying in when I was using canes because as you mention they would stop sliding at a node but with my way it would tie in nicely between nodes)
Another thing I sometimes used was no twist ties at all all I would do is untie the wire from its overhead support then gently corkscrew the wire around the plant.
Another way was to use 3 ft canes at the bottom of the plant until the plant got going then it was relatively simple to tie in the top of the plant to the wire.
So you see if there is a will there is a way but what I found was that the wires were mostly rolled up and hung from their overhead support and yes!!! They started using long canes again.
But worse still although I also supplied a sweeping brush no one ever thought of typing the place up.
Towards the latter end of my stay on the plots I became totally disallusioned with most of the plot members particularly when they started taking me for granted when they expected me to fetch and carry for them e.g. things like,discounted compost,fertiliser,seed,manure and my surplus plants which in many cases I never as much as got a thank you for., and sometimes I was out of pocket as well!
There!! Now you know why I gave up my plots it was not as some people thought that"I wasn't up to it" no! If I say so myself I think I had at least another ten years in me.
It was just the selfishness of some people on the plot that got me down in the end. Gone were the days when many of us would sit down in the communal tunnel have a bit of banter and put the world to right not any more. It was not uncommon for people to walk past you on your plot without as much as a good morning/ afternoon!
That was not for me.
In fact when I gave up I asked the council to give my plot to a total 'newbie' rather than have it being claimed by another plot holder as happened when I vacated previous plots over the years.
In fact the last person that took a plot over after I gave it up said they wanted it because there were no weeds on it, if you see it now it is wall to wall weeds most of the season.
So there you have it.....my true reason for giving up my allotments, and to be quite honest it is now about 15 months since I gave it up and I have not missed it in the least, which surprises me really because I thought I would.
Ps but I think I would miss A4A if I left.....Tg