Garden trellis made from CAT-5 network cable

pea-support-smaller

Last year over at The Genteel Recessionista their trellis made of twine rotted away.  This year they chose to use wire salvaged from some old CAT-5 Ethernet cables to create a new one.  They were able to create two trellises for about a dollar each which in my opinion look great.

11 Responses to “Garden trellis made from CAT-5 network cable”

  1. David Says:

    Cat-5 is 4 pairs of twisted wire encased in a plastic sheath. I can’t tell by the picture; did they use the individual wires inside the sheath or did they use the whole cat5 cable? I have lots of old Ethernet cable and never thought of using it for this. What a great idea!


  2. Darla Says:

    It looks wonderful, and when it’s covered with beautiful plants it will look even better! If you like soy candles, drop by and enter to win.


  3. Anonymous Says:

    What about lead?Doesn’t most communication cabling use lead-based compounds for fireproofing and to increase the insulation’s flexibility?Is there a risk of excessive lead exposure if this is used in the vegetable garden?


  4. Patti Says:

    David, I took off the outer grey coating and used the twisted pairs.I’m interested in the lead question – I think it’s just in the outer sheathing, which I removed, but I’m not sure.


  5. The Cheap Vegetable Gardener Says:

    David, yes they used the individual wires inside the sheath, but you could definitely keep them intact for some extra strength and support. You can check out the full write-up on their post.Darla, you should check out their page and see their spider web designed trellis. Very creative design.Anonymous, I know some Ethernet cables contain lead but many are lead free. Definitely a good point to bring up.


  6. Robj98168 Says:

    What a great idean to reuse and make something Useful! They get my 4R award for the day!!


  7. Red Icculus Says:

    I have used cords from broken lamps as rope before. I have used electrical cords soldered with new plugs as guitar cables. This is a great idea!


  8. Gardeness Says:

    Great idea! My hubby always has cables hanging around, too. I wonder …


  9. The Cheap Vegetable Gardener Says:

    I had a big long cable at work that both ends have lost the clip and I frequently hit it with my foot then spend 15 minutes trying to figure out why the network stopped working. Looks like I am going to make that cable pay…Red Icculus, I have finally reduced my pile of wires I refuse to throw away with my grow box projects. Probably have a few extra to make a pea trellis.


  10. Cheese Says:

    Seems like a great idea to me! It’s always hard to gauge how your girlfriend would take it though from an aesthetic point of view.


  11. Anonymous Says:

    If the cable is marked ROHS compliant it has no lead. A recent greening of the electronics industry


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