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Something as simple as a stake can improve, train, and support your perennials for the best bloom and performance possible!
Rooting and training your plants is an important gardening practice that ensures your garden looks good and stays healthy throughout the growing season.
Perennials, in particular, benefit from proper support and guidance to reach their full flowering potential. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to successfully handle and train your plants.
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I still remember the first time I went out into my garden after a windy rain storm. My once proud delphiniums and oriental poppies littered the ground, their beautiful stems bent under the weight of their rain-swept flowers.
I regretted it—if only I had given them the support they needed. That experience taught me an important lesson: rooting and training plants is not just about keeping them upright; it’s about giving them the care and structure they need to thrive. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of helping my perennials stand tall and proud, making sure they deliver their best blooms year after year.
Let me tell you what I learned.
Why It’s Important to Focus and Train Regularly
Perennials are long-lived plants that come back year after year, tending to grow taller and taller over time. However, many of these plants have heavy flower heads or tall stems that can be blown over without support. Staking and training offers several advantages:
Improved Bloom Quality:
Proper support prevents flowers from wilting or breaking especially if you live in a windy or rainy area.
Improved air circulation:
Straight plants are less susceptible to fungal diseases and insects.
Clean Look:
Staking creates a neat, orderly look to your garden. Your decorative support structures can also provide winter interest.
See how to build this fun, beginner-friendly Obelisk!
Prevent Injury:
Protect plants from wind, rain, or accidental damage. Sometimes support can also protect against animal consumption. (when I have problems with deer I use tomato cages around the plants, they are quickly covered with leaves that hide their home but protect the main stem and leaves from hungry deer)
When To Hold On And Train For Your Eternal Age
The best time to plant perennials is early in the growing season before they get too big. Training and supporting the plants early allows them to grow naturally around the foundations, creating a more natural look. Some plants may need additional support during the season as their blooms mature and stems grow heavier.
This is especially true for peonies. It is very easy to set up a support around the base of the peony at the beginning of the season and let it grow with the support.
DIY Peony Supports You Can Do!
Essential Tools and Equipment for Staking
To successfully trap and train your perennials, gather the following tools:
- Poles: Bamboo, metal, or wooden poles work well. Choose materials that complement the beauty of your garden.
- Trellises and Obelisks: Ideal for climbing plants such as clematis or sweet peas.
- Planting rings and hoops: Useful for bushy plants like peonies or dahlias.
- Twine or Garden Ties: Use soft and flexible materials to avoid damaging the stems. I use pantyhose strips. Expanding as the plant grows without restricting or digging in tender plant growth.
- Grids or frames: For sprawling plants that need support on all stems.
How to Keep and Train Houseplants: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Choose the Right Support System
Different plants require different types of support. For example:
- Tall, Single Stem Plants (eg, delphiniums): Use individual stakes.
- Bushy Perennials (eg, daisies, peonies): Use hoops or grids.
- Climbing Plants (eg, clematis): Train in trellises, obelisks, arbors or hedges.
2. Apply Early Support
Place stakes or other supports in the ground early in the season when the plants are young. This reduces root disturbance and helps the plant grow naturally around the base.
3. Protect Degrees Gently
Use garden ties or twine to secure the stems to the stakes. Tie loosely to avoid suffocating growth, and place the ties just below the flowers for best support.
4. Adjust As The Plant Grows
Periodically check the bindings and adjust as needed. Stems grow quickly, and ties that are too tight can cause damage.
5. Train Plants for Proper Growth
- Passengers: Gently weave the stems through the trellis holes or tie them to the structure.
- Bushy Perennials: Encourage vertical growth by dividing ties evenly around the trunk.
Recommended Perennials for Staking and Training
Certain perennials are more prone to swimming and need more support. Here are some common ones:
- Delphiniums: Tall flower bushes that require strong poles.
- Peonies: Heavy flowers benefit from plant rings or growth support.
- Phlox: Tall species may need to be staked to stay upright.
- Lupines: Tender stems with many flowers need to be protected from the wind.
- Clematis: Climbers that thrive when trained on trellises or arbors.
- Foxgloves: Long flowers that bloom from the bottom to the top and are very heavy
Staking and Training Techniques for Maximum Blooms
- Pinning and Pruning: Pinch or prune the growing tips of perennials early in the season to encourage bush growth and strong stems. Many call this a Chelsea Chop as you do this in May, around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show in Britain.
- Shrinkage: Remove excess growth to allow air circulation and reduce flower weight and competition for fertility and water.
- Strategic Placement: Plant tall annuals in sheltered areas to protect them from strong winds, reducing the need to bend over. I plant near the hedges and protect myself from it.
Thoughts of separation
I’ve found that tending and training perennials not only makes them look their best but also helps them stay healthy and produce more blooms. With the right tools, techniques, and time, it’s surprisingly easy to create a beautiful and well-maintained garden. I like to start early, watch my plants as they grow, and enjoy the benefit of strong, well-supported flowers all season long.
Happy Gardening!
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