[Lardman]

Im re-doing the posts and wires long 22' of garden, it has a rise of roughly 18", the fence panels behind are stepped. The wires are for the espalier pears so the plants will follow the wires and be tied to the horizontal.

I can't decide if it would be better to put the wires level which would mean the 1st tier of the espalier on the last tree almost being on the ground or the first tree starting at 3' ish , Or parallel with the ground which may make the trees look lob sided compared to the fence....  It's not possible to step the wires in line with the fence panels either.

I'm leaning (excuse the pun) towards parallel.

[Fairy Plotmother]

I would have to have it level. My eye can be very offended if stuff doesn't look right. 🙄🙄🙄

[Lardman]

My eye can be very offended if stuff doesn't look right. 🙄🙄🙄

Im with you on that but I wonder if it would be the same effect as a level curtain rail and a sloping ceiling. Looking level can be a fair way off being level.

[RichardA]

I did mine parallel, look fine.
Different subject though, I put up a three bay compost bin on sloping ground and it looks a damn mess. Because of slats and posts interlocking the slats which are parallel to ground and they look ok but they force the posts to be at right angles to ground and hence not vertical and they look ridiculous. Guess what is on my winter to do list ....

[Lardman]

I did mine parallel, look fine.

The trees don't look like they're leaning when they're out of leaf do they Richard?

Because of slats and posts interlocking the slats which are parallel to ground and they look ok but they force the posts to be at right angles to ground and hence not vertical and they look ridiculous.

Nope couldn't be having that either! Id either be levelling the ground or stepping the bins (but then they wouldn't be level) and whilst that wouldn't keep me awake at night it would annoy me every time I passed them.   

[Fairy Plotmother]

Hmmmm! This is a bit of a dilemma Lardman.🤔🤔🤔😅

[RichardA]

Lardman is right -- they do annoy me every time I pass by. And I should have done either of the things he said and hence I now have levelling of the ground in each bin width and then stepping of the bins to do once the bins are emptied. Isn't hind sight a lovely thing - I thought it would save time and make no real difference but it does, doesn't it.

[mumofstig]

It would have to be level(ish) wires, with sloping ground for me. Like this

[Fairy Plotmother]

That's it mum. Looks good.

[madcat]

Just to be controversial - how about split the difference? 

[jaydig]

I agree with MoS - they would have to be level, or they would never look right.

[mumofstig]

This thread is nearly 2 years old, so think the decision was made long ago   

[madcat]

    True!    Why did it come up now?  I will never understand computers .... or me! 

[Lardman]

This thread is nearly 2 years old, so think the decision was made long ago   

Nope , still just 2 posts at either end waiting for a decision to be made about the wires, I ponder over it most times I go to the top greenhouse. 

Nothing happens quickly here 

[Yorkie]

I agree with level.  If you think about it, the purpose of the wires is to help the plant grow.  The plant doesn't care what's happening with the ground underneath its stems / branches.

By bending the plant stems / branches to a horizontal, it stimulates a certain type of flowering growth.  You'll either reduce that flowering growth if the plant is going upwards instead of horizontal, or confuse the plant if the stem is going downwards beyond the horizontal.  If the plant is being trained so the main stem is in the middle, with branches going out in opposite directions, you won't have matching growth on each side.