#10 Stake your plants before they need it.

A Manifesto for Growing Cut Flowers

Manifesto

#10 Stake your plants before they need it.

Picking up on my manifesto for growing cut flowers, this week, I have been staking plants.

If you are new to my manifesto, there are other posts in the series -

1. Only grow what you love

2. First know what you love

3. Don’t start too early in the year

4. But start the year before

5. Make your own liquid feeds

I haven’t directly written about #5 & #6 but I have written about making composts and green manures. I will be returning to those soon.

But right now, now, stake your plants! Immediately! ¹

After nurturing seedlings and plants for months now, the last thing you want is for your beautiful plants to flop and hit the ground. No, get out and support your plants before they need it and harvest lovely strong stems all summer.

We’ve supported plants in all sorts of ways over the years. In the end, it was the most efficient way that was the most effective!

This was the first incarnation. Back in about 2017 and for several years, we drove in long 1.5cm maybe longer 2”x1” (yes I like to mix the measurements).

Then we wove string or baling twine between the posts. With various levels of success.

This felt solid and strong. But ended up being quite frustrating. Let me count the reasons why and help you shortcut the pain.