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Plant supports

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  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090

    I buy mine in 5m lengths and cut them in two then bend the middle round a railway sleeper before bending it with a plank to get my legs.   I find this leaves me enough length to to get a decent footing in the soil but still support plants such as echinops and purple phlomis.   I do overlap them and am happy to use 3 or 4 to support a clump.   Better, in my experience, than one hoop.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    I use a very handy tree to bend my 2m ones and a smaller diameter clay pot for the shorter ones. I use them for oriental poppies, the really tall light blue geranium Mrs Kendall Clark, valerian. campanulas etc. I love my rusty hoops. 

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254

    We've already had quite a few discussions on this topic. Pity the search facility of the forum is so buggy that people have given up using it.image

    In this discussion I gave a link to a tutorial of my own method to make supports: http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/problem-solving/plant-supports-for-perennials/5436.html

    Here's the link: http://www.rezeau.org/wp-garden/en/making-your-own-metal-plant-supports/

    I have currently upwards of 20 home-made such supports in my garden, and on a recent "open garden" event few visitors could spot them at all, as they are now totally hidden by the vegetation (but still doing their office).

    An illustration with some monkshood 'Ivorine' specimens.

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    stage 1

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    stage 2

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    stage 3

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    I don't have a workbench but I do have a tree! and a terracotta pot!

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    It's 3 mts for a stake the size papa Jo made, that would be better for me. Nice long legs on that one.

    i just laid my rods on the lawn, picked up one end and curved it over till it met the other end, then stood on it to make the legs . Didn't have a tree or a workmate.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    That's the point you don't see them. 

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    Allen....What makes you think that many of the keen gardeners on here miss out the obvious, you do say some things!!!

    So anything tha falls out of line, just cut it off!   Another of his great ideas, these supports are completely unseen,  as Hogweed and everyone has said Plants grow you don't see the supports.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
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