Thanks to both of you for replying. Next year I will know to stake them.
They just seemed to have such strong, thick stems that I didn't think I
needed to. I don't really like the looks of stakes so I will think more
carefully about what to plant or take your "invisible approach."

Now, on to trying to make it look better........

Thanks
Lori






"Tyra Trevellyn" wrote in message
...
From: "Lori"
Date: Mon, Jul 21, 2003 10:10 AM
Message-id:

Hello everyone,
I have been lurking here for a few months and have learned a lot just by
reading your posts. Now I have a question. I am a new gardener, and most
of
my plants have been doing great up until now. Last night we had a storm
and
my taller plants, cleome and cosmos, were either uprooted or bent over.
I
tried to stand them all back up and pack the "mud" around them, but most
are
still leaning. I covered the root area with mulch. They are looking
pretty
wilted. Is there anything else I can do to try to save them? The cleome
just
started flowering and the cosmos just got buds on them. Thanks for any
help
you can give me.

Lori

Lori,
There aren't any magic tricks to try when dealing with tall willowy
species.
You've got to support them in some way. I grow the plants you mention,
and I
grow them in clumps. I place a few stakes in amongst them (not one for
each
plant) and interweave some almost invisible twine in and around the plants
and
tie it to the stakes. What results is a fairly self-supporting mass that
remains reasonably upright and unbroken......and the supports are nearly
invisible. It's best to set this up before the plants get too big. (For
full-size cleome and cosmos, 4 ft. skinny bamboo stakes are good.)

Also important is keeping the plants pinched back early in the growing
season
so that the stems become thicker and stronger. This helps quite a bit,
but
they'lll still need support when they reach full height. Try this next
year.

Best,
Tyra
nNJ usa





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