New Zealand wine companies take advantage of the Ocloc trellis system

Ocloc products are highly recommended for organic growing as no toxins or chemicals are leached from the metal into the soil and are 100% recyclable at the end of their long life.

Ocloc NZ exhibited at WinePro NZ in June 2024 with a strong uptake of Ocloc V repair and instillation of new developments.

Foley Wines at Mt Difficult in Central Otago, along with Matua and Bill Linklater from Marlborough, arranged to have Ocloc trellis and strainer posts designed to suit their specific needs within new developments. The new development vineyards chose Ocloc NZ products because of the strong designed profile shape and the special wire holes, already set in the metal posts. Ocloc products are easier to install, have high success for install rates in rocky soils, are stronger and have an extended life span. They are also organically sustainable.

Ocloc repair systems, trellis and strainer posts are made from high tensile steel for added strength and functionality. The Ocloc repair systems, trellis and strainer posts are coated with a premium Galfan coating, rare metals, aluminium, magnesium and zinc. The premium Galfan coating significantly extends the longevity of the Ocloc trellis products.

Ocloc products are highly recommended for organic growing as no toxins or chemicals are leached from the metal into the soil and are 100% recyclable at the end of their long life.

In 2024, Ocloc NZ was established: a New Zealand partnership was formed between Ocloc Australia and Phil Gleeson and Sam McConway from Marlborough. Ocloc which is based in South Australia has been manufacturing premium vineyard repair systems, trellis and strainer posts in South Australia since 2010. Phil and Sam own and run Eckford Engineering in Blenheim and supply engineering solutions to the wine industry. Phil also has his own vineyard. Ocloc NZ organises and administers all trials and sales of Ocloc products in New Zealand.

Ocloc NZ repair systems and line posts are manufactured in South Australia, while Ocloc NZ strainer posts are manufactured in New Zealand by Cuddon Engineering.

A special ramming head for vibrating the Ocloc line post into very Boney ground has a 100% success rate with no posts bent, broken or cracked. The vibrating ramming head is available for minimal hire fee, and is shown here at Foley Wines’ Station Block at Mt Pisa, Central Otago.

Matua Wines installed Ocloc in their new development using 2.4m Ocloc A x VSP posts with 75mm wire increments and 2.7m Ocloc S strainers. A Munro vibrating rammer was used to ram the Ocloc S in at Marlborough. Ocloc S simply ram into place, alleviates the need for any pre-drilling, or the point sharpening required for wooden strainers (numerous OH&S issues with post ramming are solved with the Munro rammer’s safety features). Ocloc S (stand-alone) strainers are three times stronger than traditional stand-alone wooden CCA strainer posts. The wires are easily tied off through the coined rounded internal central holes in the Ocloc S ratchets that can be easily attached for the lifting wires.

Ocloc strainer and line posts feature rounded wire holes. The rounded hole creates a soft non-abrasive saddle for wire movement, and this soft shape eliminates any scalping of the wire coating to extend the life of the wires used. The rounded wire holes also allow for the attachment of the Ocloc K nylon clip. This is a tough clip that attaches to the line posts and is suitable for both hand lifting and mechanical cane pruning. Pruners can also lower the wires for mechanical pruning, elevating the need for nylon clips. The Ocloc strainer and line posts are also designed to withstand windshield movement with high crop loads.

Foley Wines at Mt Difficulty, with Craig Carter as its vineyard manager, had a problematic site with rocky fractured soils below Mt Pisa. Ocloc AW, a thicker line post 2.2mm thick by 2.4m long with hole spacings of 150 mm VSP (vertical shoot positioning), was used. Ocloc NZ shipped in a special vibe head rammer to install the line posts. Tasmanian contractor Jake Huett from Northern Vineyard Services managed the team and shared his skills on the excavator. Craig Carter was impressed with the ease and success of the posts and strainers installed. As an organic vineyard, the use of steel with a Galfan coating means no chemical transfer to soil, unlike treated wood or plastics.

Installation was successful with no bent or broken posts or strainers.

The Ocloc S has a ramming head that fits onto the strainer. Ocloc S is vibrated into the rocky ground with no predrilling, just rammed straight into the ground very efficiently with a tilt of 10 degrees.

Ocloc NZ currently has numerous enquiries going to quote for this coming season.

Give Phil or Sam a call to receive samples for Ocloc V wood repairs or trellis line post and strainers for your next developments.

Phill Gleeson: 027 275 9057

Sam McConway: 027 422 4738

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.oclocnz.co.nz

Ocloc NZ are agents for Munro Rammers

Content supplied by a third party contributor

This article was originally published in the April 2025 issue of the Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker. To find out more about our monthly magazine, or to subscribe, click here!