Safefertilizer’s Weblog

Early June is the perfect time to get a jump on plant staking before plants become too large to handle. Some plants grow well on their own without any staking; however vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers, and perennials that grow tall and have heavy flowers will need to be staked.

Staking Individual Plants

Some plants grow best when staked individually. Tomatoes fall into this category. Tomatoes are susceptible to a variety of pest and disease problems, many of which may be prevented by providing good air flow. There are several techniques for successfully staking individual plants, all of which can be put into place now, before the plant gets too large.

1) Cages–Wire cages are best for vegetable plants because they are not the most beautiful thing to look at on a daily basis. If your plant is going to grow particularly huge, a cage might not be strong enough to hold the plant. Cages can also make pruning difficult. They do contain plants with a more vine-like growth habit.

2) Metal spiral stake–These stakes offer the best opportunity for air flow around the plant. This type of stake is great for producing fewer, larger fruits. For this stake to work well, you need to prune your plant so that it has a single stem.

3) Bamboo garden stakes–bamboo is a highly renewable resource, so it makes a great choice of staking materials for natural gardeners. These stakes come in a variety of thicknesses and lengths, so there is likely to be a stake to meet the needs of any size of plant. For smaller, slender plants such as delphinium, bamboo stakes work well. You can trim your stake with pruners if it is too tall. Bamboo stakes will last for four or five years without replacement.

4) Grids–A round grid attached to three legs works well for multi-stemmed perennials with heavy flowers. Peonies are a good example of this, although it is too late for peonies this year. False indigo and chrysanthemums also benefit from this method. You should purchase the grid size that you need and put it in place before the plant starts growing. The plant grows up through the grid, and is well-supported by the time flowers develop.

5) Bamboo and individual twin ties– Large perennials with attractive, sprawling habits like joe pye weed or meadow rue look best when one or two stakes are inserted near the center of the plant, and individual ties are used to support each stem. This way, you can still keep the “natural” look, and also support the plant.

Staking Groups of PlantsThere is only one method that is attractive and works well. This method is best for plants that grow in large clumps, or have numerous stems without large flowers. Plants such as cosmos, tickseed, wildflower mixes, and other similar plants can be attractively staked without taking away from the beauty of the planting.

Best Method–Bamboo stake and twine combination–make a zigzag pattern through the clump (or eventual clump) with stakes. String the twine from one stake to the other, creating a Z pattern between stakes. The plants will grow up through the twine. This staking method can be put in place either before or after plants start growing.

Either Way You Stake It

Regardless of the method you choose for staking, you want to be certain to stake in a manner that will support flowers and fruit, and also allow good air circulation around the plant. The methods described above accomplish this dual task.

Above all, avoid tying a string around your plants and cinching it tight. That does not help the plant, and it is ugly!