Painting Rebar for Plant Supports. http://Rebarp.notlong.com 27 March 2007. Eight foot rebar painted to inhibit rust with Tremclad for use as supports for the tomato cages, and to tie the top part of the tomatoe plants. This coating will last for about 7 years, judging from past experiences. This is a cheap and effective way to support tomato plants. The rebar rusts quickly unless painted. Durgan.
I'm impressed Durgan. My husband would have just painted them right on the grass and we would have had pretty green striped grass - and grass blades stuck into the paint on the rebar :o( My wooden stakes are still hanging in there but using rebar is a great idea! Anne
I just bought rebar for my tomatos since I am tired of the cages tipping over every year. Durgan, have you used unpainted rebar in the past? Just curious as to how long they lasts without paint. Also the paint lasts ~7 years. I assume the paint slowly chips off and falls into the soil. How nasty are the chemicals in the paint? Is there anything in the paint that could be absorbed by the plants? Perhaps leaving them bare adds extra iron (via rusting) to the soil that could be beneficial.
Rebar rusts immediately when exposed to weather and are decidedly ugly and the rust gets on clothing when handling. Yes, I have used the unpainted rebar and found it wanting. The Tremclad doesn't chip. It basically stays in place. There is always a bit of rusting due to the paint not covering the bar completely, depending how much care is taken with the painting. I tried spraying from a can and it is less satisfactory than brush painting. I have some bars that are seven years old and I never have re-painted. That is why I chose the figure of seven years. The little bit of iron that gets into the soil may be of use, but I have no knowledge of its usefulness. I might add I also paint the concrete reinforcing 4 by 8 foot mesh, which I use for supporting peas, cucumbers and some other plants. http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html
Most large metro areas will have a rebar supplier who can supply epoxy coated rebar, and sometimes one can find it in the surplus (scrap) yards. The stuff I see in our area is a pale green and it should last "forever". It doesn't flake at all. Ralph
I have one foot in the grave aned have never encountered the described coated rebar. I have often wondered why rebar wasn't painted or coated. If so readily available one would think the obvious place to stock them would be the the big box hardware stores. Durgan.
Actually the business of using non-protected rebar in concrete structures is of some concern. When the rebar is exposed to air the rust causes a reduction in the bar and moisture enters. This is being investigated as a possible cause of structural weakening in ovepasses and other concrete structures. http://Rebarp.notlong.com Rust doesn't bond very well to anything. http://www.durgan.org/Blog/Durgan.html
