Hello

I have several plants that require staking but I'm not really sure how to do this. Should I buy a frame from a garden centre or merely use flower stakes or bamboo canes?

The plants I'm referring to a

Soldiers buttons (I don't know the proper name for this but it grows to about eight foot in one year and seems to flower from spring to autumn).

A Bottle Brush (Callistmon Citrius 'splenders')

Dianthus 'Claret Joy'.

Cornflowers (Centaurea Montana)

Sorry if these like a dumb basic questions but I've avoided staking because I don't seem to be very good at it. My cornflowers just looked ugly and bunched but if I don't stake them they flop on the ground and develop some kind of mould.

Grateful thanks to the person who can help.

Jackie

In article , Jackie D Jackie.D.1u4r
writes

Cornflowers (Centaurea Montana)

Sorry if these like a dumb basic questions but I've avoided staking
because I don't seem to be very good at it. My cornflowers just looked
ugly and bunched but if I don't stake them they flop on the ground and
develop some kind of mould.

The mould is mildew, which is worse if the ground is too dry. It doesn't
usually get too bad until the flowers on that stem are over. You can
then cut the entire stem off at the base, and new leaves come up from
the centre of the plants.

It's nothing to do with the proximity of the stem to the ground, so you
will probably still get it even if you do stake.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Hi Kay

Ground being too dry makes a lot of sense given where they are planted: it is a particularly dry spot.

If I was to stake them, what is the best method do you think? I have been using bamboo canes and plant rings but, as I said in my firstpost, they tend to look bunched and ugly.

Thanks
Jackie

In article , Jackie D Jackie.D.1u5o
writes

Ground being too dry makes a lot of sense given where they are planted:
it is a particularly dry spot.

If I was to stake them, what is the best method do you think? I have
been using bamboo canes and plant rings but, as I said in my firstpost,
they tend to look bunched and ugly.

No idea. I don't stake mine - I prefer them to look natural.
Just in case you're wondering why this thread is getting all tangled -
you're posting through gardenbanter so you may not realise - but it's
the convention in this newsgroup to respond directly after the point you
are responding to rather than at the top as you have, and to snip
everything except what is necessary to make it clear what you're
replying to.


Kay Wrote:
In article , Jackie D Jackie.D.1u4r
writes-

Cornflowers (Centaurea Montana)

Sorry if these like a dumb basic questions but I've avoided staking
because I don't seem to be very good at it. My cornflowers just looked
ugly and bunched but if I don't stake them they flop on the ground and
develop some kind of mould.
-
The mould is mildew, which is worse if the ground is too dry. It
doesn't
usually get too bad until the flowers on that stem are over. You can
then cut the entire stem off at the base, and new leaves come up from
the centre of the plants.

It's nothing to do with the proximity of the stem to the ground, so
you
will probably still get it even if you do stake.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"


--
Jackie D

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Kay wrote:
In article , Jackie D
Jackie.D.1u5o writes

Re Cornflowers.

Ground being too dry makes a lot of sense given where they are
planted: it is a particularly dry spot.

If I was to stake them, what is the best method do you think? I
have
been using bamboo canes and plant rings but, as I said in my
firstpost, they tend to look bunched and ugly.

No idea. I don't stake mine - I prefer them to look natural.
[...]

I wonder if Jackie's either using the wrong size of plant ring (too
tight), or not pushing them in quite deep enough (too high). When I
support plants at all, it's generally very low down on the plant, to
allow natural curving but not total flopping. A case for experiment.

--
Mike.

I
have
been using bamboo canes and plant rings but, as I said in my
firstpost, they tend to look bunched and ugly.

No idea. I don't stake mine - I prefer them to look natural.
[...]

I wonder if Jackie's either using the wrong size of plant ring (too
tight), or not pushing them in quite deep enough (too high). When I
support plants at all, it's generally very low down on the plant, to
allow natural curving but not total flopping. A case for experiment.

I find that if I put supports in place before they are really needed the
plants can relax and droop a little bit as they grow higher it gives a
sort of compromise
--
Sue
Remove the puppies to reply

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Jackie

I don't bother staking - too ugly, and too expensive. Plant shrubs nearby to support the lanky stuff, or plant towards the back so the stuff in front can support 'em :O)