: I was recommended to use "tomato Stakes" of the "pale
: colour" (like ....sort of white) I found quite a few that suited in a
: local Mitre 10. I cut them down to 5mm, selected them for the
: "best" and away i went. I broke 3 from 17. Someone mentioned
: they were "blue gum"?

Gum is as I remember kinda a smallish hardwood tree, not commercially used for much as they tend to be pretty small trees. Going from memory here and used to have a grove of gum trees at a house many years back.

Bill H.