Plant supports
Bill_and_Ben
Posts: 161
This is my second year of tending a brand new garden and after some flops (literally) last year I need to learn about plant supports!
I have a Dahlia 'Glory of Heemstede' which gets massive - it was about 1.5-2m across and 1m wide last year - mainly so wide as it flopped. I tried supporting in by putting in about 6 canes with twine around the canes but it then just looked a terrible mess and some of the stems were damaged by then from being on the ground or by my forcing them into the cane/string. I have been to the garden centre and looked at supports but don't know what to buy. This is what the plant looked like mid August last year but bear in mind it got a lot bigger and more unruly by the end of the summer, not helped by the facts the canes and string didn't always hold well and sometimes had to be redone.
I am having similar bother with a Dicentra Spectabilis which was a sensible size last year but seems to like where it is and went mad in the last month. I bought some Gardman 6 x 78cm link plant supports to go around it - they link together in any configuration. I did all 6 as a rough hexagon but am not getting on very well as the links come out and I'm having the same problem as with the Dahlia as I've done it too late so the plant looks a mess now it is rounded up in these links.
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum - wasn't sure if it should be in Plants or 'Tools and Techniques'
Posts
Hi Bill & Ben
could you put in the supports at same time as the Dahlia, maybe using stronger canes.?
I buy long thin steel rods from the DIY place and bend them around a tree then pull the ends up to make half ring supports. Much cheaper than buying these at the Garden Centre.
What a good idea Lizzie they are so expensive .I have another idea I purchased a length of thickish green wire which is sold coiled into about 18inch diameter ring.Cut about three rings of it and bend one end over about 2inches down.stick that into the hole of a length of cane and it swirls down like an old fashioned helta skelta. I've used this on my montbretia and it seems to be holding without showing too much. Also on some lupins. Not sure if is large enough for the dahlia so will be having a go at tree wire bending
http://www.plantsupportsuk.co.uk/shop.php?cPath=36
I use these - they are really good at supporting tall plants and 'gather' in stray stems. For a large wide plant you can use 2 - next to each other.
It's the ones called Twist Easys - spiral.
I'm not sure obelisks would work for this dahlia Tetley as it doesn't cling to anything as such so would climb up it. It just simply gets so tall that it collapses sideways in any strong breeze. I may buy one for other plants though as they do look nice.
I did wonder about the half ring supports and read about Monty Don making some like you did Busy-Lizzie. He said to buy 6mm mild steel bars from the local steel merchant which rather put me off as Googling them led me to place that built cranes and the like! Did you get yours from B&Q/Homebase maybe? I looked at the green plastic ones in the garden centre and they're hugely expensive for what they are.
I saw a product like the one you made primrosecottage here:
http://www.babyllon.co.uk/product/twisters_plant_supports_%28set_of_3%29,13063
Your version sounds a lot cheaper - I might try this for some of my other plants.
Thanks for all the advice - really appreciated.
I've just bouht one of those twister things, Bill n Ben, different brand, only £2.99 at local GC. Not tried it yet and will also look at t DIY. options of the same th thing
Thanks for the link to that website gardeninglily1 - after far too much time online and much poring over websites I have treated myself to a pack of 18 supports from there - hopefully all will be put to good use for my dahlias, delphiniums, tall daises and croscosmia - all of which didn't fare well last year with canes.
Will be interested to hear how your one from the GC fares MrsGarden.Sounds a good price. I bought a 'grow through' 38cm ring from my GC the other day and it was £6.99 which seems a lot.
I did mention the idea of making our own to my husband but he went pale at the thought of all that bending wires around trees (which would have to be one in the street as we have none) and wasn't keen on the rusty look in years to come!
The easiest way to make more supports - though I haven't tried it, this is what the RHS recommend - is to make a flat plywood former to wind the wire round.
Mostly sufficient support low down is enough.