need help with flopped over flowers

[Dave Smith]

I'm a complete novice gardener and i'm having trouble with some flowers.
They grew up straight and tall and had beautiful flowers on top, but
then they flopped over and started growing into a messy tangle. I didn't
know what to do so today I used string to hold them up but it doesn't
look very nice. I'm sure there is a better way to handle this. You can
see the pictures of my problem at the following link. Clicking on the
picture will enlarge it.

http://homepage.mac.com/davecalhoun/PhotoAlbum51.html

Thank you for any advice you are able to offer.

Dave

[gregpresley]

You have gaillardia and bachelor buttons there. They are more or less
wild-flowers, and in the wild seldom flop much, because the conditions are
so hostile, they don't grow as quickly...
It might be too late now, but if you grow plants like these, or many
varieties of perennials that grow tall, you can buy wire cone-shaped cages
at almost any nursery in the country. Sometimes they are sold as tomato
cages, or as peony hoops, depending on their size. They have wire "feet"
that you push into the dirt to make them stable. Generally, the best plan
is to put them in shortly after the plants emerge as seedlings or send up
new foliage in the spring if they are perennials. If you are VERY patient,
you can try to thread the current stems of the plants you have up through
the center of the hoops, trying not to bend or break the stems as you go,
and the hoops will support the flower stems, while the foliage will push
around the wire, disguising it. However, don't be surprised if about half
the flower stems break during the process (this is bitter experience
talking).......LOL.
The other option at this point would be to cut the plants back pretty
drastically (both of these plants are types that would put out new foliage
and flowers if you did that), and put the hoops down around their bases. If
you use that method, you will lose about 3 weeks of flowering time as they
regenerate from the base).
"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> I'm a complete novice gardener and i'm having trouble with some flowers.
> They grew up straight and tall and had beautiful flowers on top, but
> then they flopped over and started growing into a messy tangle. I didn't
> know what to do so today I used string to hold them up but it doesn't
> look very nice. I'm sure there is a better way to handle this. You can
> see the pictures of my problem at the following link. Clicking on the
> picture will enlarge it.
>
> http://homepage.mac.com/davecalhoun/PhotoAlbum51.html
>
> Thank you for any advice you are able to offer.
>
> Dave

[Ann]

Dave Smith > expounded:

>I'm a complete novice gardener and i'm having trouble with some flowers.
>They grew up straight and tall and had beautiful flowers on top, but
>then they flopped over and started growing into a messy tangle. I didn't
>know what to do so today I used string to hold them up but it doesn't
>look very nice. I'm sure there is a better way to handle this. You can
>see the pictures of my problem at the following link. Clicking on the
>picture will enlarge it.
>
>http://homepage.mac.com/davecalhoun/PhotoAlbum51.html
>
>Thank you for any advice you are able to offer.

As Greg has told you, your problem is your plants are growing in
too-rich soil, in the wild they'd be growing in much leaner soil and
would stand on their own.

He is also right that the stems will break easily, but since these are
annual flowers that are intent on setting seed, if you cut them back
they'll regrow new flowers (this is why we deadhead annuals, keep them
from setting seed, they'll keep trying with new flowers). So go ahead
and put supports around them and don't worry too much about breaking
them.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

[Lee]

Will drastic cutting back help Shasta Daisies, too? i've never ben
able to get strong stems on shastas, but ever so often try again <G>
Lee h

"gregpresley" > wrote in message >...
> You have gaillardia and bachelor buttons there. They are more or less
> wild-flowers, and in the wild seldom flop much, because the conditions are
> so hostile, they don't grow as quickly...
> It might be too late now, but if you grow plants like these, or many
> varieties of perennials that grow tall, you can buy wire cone-shaped cages
> at almost any nursery in the country. Sometimes they are sold as tomato
> cages, or as peony hoops, depending on their size. They have wire "feet"
> that you push into the dirt to make them stable. Generally, the best plan
> is to put them in shortly after the plants emerge as seedlings or send up
> new foliage in the spring if they are perennials. If you are VERY patient,
> you can try to thread the current stems of the plants you have up through
> the center of the hoops, trying not to bend or break the stems as you go,
> and the hoops will support the flower stems, while the foliage will push
> around the wire, disguising it. However, don't be surprised if about half
> the flower stems break during the process (this is bitter experience
> talking).......LOL.
> The other option at this point would be to cut the plants back pretty
> drastically (both of these plants are types that would put out new foliage
> and flowers if you did that), and put the hoops down around their bases. If
> you use that method, you will lose about 3 weeks of flowering time as they
> regenerate from the base).
> "Dave Smith" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I'm a complete novice gardener and i'm having trouble with some flowers.
> > They grew up straight and tall and had beautiful flowers on top, but
> > then they flopped over and started growing into a messy tangle. I didn't
> > know what to do so today I used string to hold them up but it doesn't
> > look very nice. I'm sure there is a better way to handle this. You can
> > see the pictures of my problem at the following link. Clicking on the
> > picture will enlarge it.
> >
> > http://homepage.mac.com/davecalhoun/PhotoAlbum51.html
> >
> > Thank you for any advice you are able to offer.
> >
> > Dave

[gregpresley]

I have floppy Shastas too - I think some people cut them back drastically
after first flowering and get shorter stems with good flowers in August.
"Lee" > wrote in message
om...
> Will drastic cutting back help Shasta Daisies, too? i've never ben
> able to get strong stems on shastas, but ever so often try again <G>
> Lee h
>
> "gregpresley" > wrote in message
>...
> > You have gaillardia and bachelor buttons there. They are more or less
> > wild-flowers, and in the wild seldom flop much, because the conditions
are
> > so hostile, they don't grow as quickly...
> > It might be too late now, but if you grow plants like these, or many
> > varieties of perennials that grow tall, you can buy wire cone-shaped
cages
> > at almost any nursery in the country. Sometimes they are sold as tomato
> > cages, or as peony hoops, depending on their size. They have wire "feet"
> > that you push into the dirt to make them stable. Generally, the best
plan
> > is to put them in shortly after the plants emerge as seedlings or send
up
> > new foliage in the spring if they are perennials. If you are VERY
patient,
> > you can try to thread the current stems of the plants you have up
through
> > the center of the hoops, trying not to bend or break the stems as you
go,
> > and the hoops will support the flower stems, while the foliage will push
> > around the wire, disguising it. However, don't be surprised if about
half
> > the flower stems break during the process (this is bitter experience
> > talking).......LOL.
> > The other option at this point would be to cut the plants back pretty
> > drastically (both of these plants are types that would put out new
foliage
> > and flowers if you did that), and put the hoops down around their bases.
If
> > you use that method, you will lose about 3 weeks of flowering time as
they
> > regenerate from the base).
> > "Dave Smith" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I'm a complete novice gardener and i'm having trouble with some
flowers.
> > > They grew up straight and tall and had beautiful flowers on top, but
> > > then they flopped over and started growing into a messy tangle. I
didn't
> > > know what to do so today I used string to hold them up but it doesn't
> > > look very nice. I'm sure there is a better way to handle this. You can
> > > see the pictures of my problem at the following link. Clicking on the
> > > picture will enlarge it.
> > >
> > > http://homepage.mac.com/davecalhoun/PhotoAlbum51.html
> > >
> > > Thank you for any advice you are able to offer.
> > >
> > > Dave