Think spring. What do you think of? I think of warmer weather, rain and all kinds of plants beginning to push through the ground. And since this will be happening soon, there is one precaution you should take before it’s too late for your plants. Use plant supports. Spring staking is always easier and better for your garden plants. Some plants can stand on their own. Others need a helping hand in the form of a stake… sometimes two.. Regardless of the reason for staking, you will easily obtain a healthy neat and tidy garden when using staking methods that are appropriate for your plants. Here are some tips and tricks to staking plants correctly. Follow them and enjoy a beautiful garden all summer long.
1) Do your plants need staking?
If your plant is top heavy, or moves around in the wind or the flowers/fruit lie on the ground, your plant needs staking. For perennials, try to remember from last year. Taller plants like delphiniums and hollyhocks are a must to stake. Strong winds and a hard rain will cause them to flop over and they do not bounce back later on. If you are planting vegetables, there is one veggie that will absolutely need to be staked… the tomato plant. Using a tomato cage will not only help support the plant but also keep the tomatoes out of the dirt.
2) When should you stake plants?
For perennials, stake your plants as early as possible, when they first begin to appear and the dangers of late frosts have passed. Top heavy flowers from bulbs should be staked at planting to avoid the risk of piercing any part of the underground portion of the bulb and damaging it. For tomatoes, let them have a head start of about 8 inches before you stake them. Be careful not to damage the root system when placing the stake.
3) Select the proper stakes for your plants.
Materials such as branches, bamboo, plastic stakes or metal rings (like Link-ups & tomato cages) work well for ease. Good old fashioned wooden stakes will work too but they should be sturdy straight stakes free from splinters. The size of the stake should fit your plant. Not too long, short or thick. The stake should be at least 1 foot higher than the plant before it is set into the ground.
4) Where should you place the stake?
Use a hammer to drive the stake into the ground OUTSIDE the drip line of the plant. Placing the stake inside the drip line will damage the roots.(The drip line is the imaginary circle on the ground that corresponds to the leaf canopy). Drive the stake into the soil so it is slightly lower than the height of the plant.
5) Tie off your plant.
Use covered wire or coated plant ties and attach them loosely ensuring they do not cut into the bark or stem of the plant. Be sure to secure the tie to the stake and not the plant. The tie material should begin at the stake, make a figure 8 and be tied securely to the stake with a knot or twist. You can also use green twine that will blend into your garden and will not damage or cut into the plant. Plants with top heavy flowers such as gladiolus and dahlias should be tied all the way to the top of the flower.
The vigorous growth of many herbaceous perennials and climbers often need a helping hand to prevent them from flopping onto neighboring plants or over the edges of lawn and paths. Putting plant supports in place early means that even the most obvious one can be hidden by the foliage in just a few weeks. After all, looking at a few bare stakes for a short period of time is a lot simpler than having your plants reach full bloom and have the task of trying to tie plants that are too tall running the risk of breaking or bending the tops and trying to fit a full grown plant into a stake.
Water is one of the most important things birders can add to their backyard to attract birds. All bird species need water, and adding one or more water features to your yard will quickly attract feathered friends. Birds need water for two reasons: drinking and preening. Water helps keep a bird’s body cool both from the inside and outside. Water baths can also remove dust, loose feathers, parasites and other debris from a bird’s plumage. Offering water in your backyard will attract more birds than just food sources, since birds that would not normally visit feeders can be tempted by water features. Any water is an improvement on a dry backyard, but moving water will attract more birds because the motion catches their eye and they can hear any dripping, sprinkles or splashes. Adding a Water Wiggler dripper, or mister accessory to a standing birdbath adds motion easily. Birdbaths are the fastest, easiest way to add water to your backyard bird habitat. The Rock Pile offers different sizes and styles. Birdbaths come in three basic designs:
One Rock Pile employee stated, “When I first started getting interested in gardening, I thought, why would anyone use annuals? You have to plant them every year. That’s a lot of work, but now I am starting to appreciate annuals more and more.” Gardening is a labor of love and the results are gardens you can enjoy with your family, friends and neighbors. So, why should you choose annuals? Because they give you a big impact all season long and it also gives you opportunity to change your garden’s look each year. Think of it as clothing and accessories for your yard.
Rock gardens are an easy way of adding dimension to your landscape. They can be as big or as small as you like. At The Rock Pile and Garden Center we not only have a number of different kinds of natural stone to start off your project, but we also have all the plants, soil and everything else you will need to create a beautiful and interesting element in your yard.
