The right support: 5 things to know about staking plants

Stakes—whether temporary or permanent—get your plants growing in the right direction and give roots time to grow into steady anchors to keep the plants stable. Here are some tips for staking your plants.

Anticipate the need for stakes and set them in place before the plants grow too much or the flowers flop over and become soiled.

• Some plants grow surprisingly fast, and it can be difficult to put supports in place once the plants start to sprawl.
• The tops of stakes can be dangerously sharp, so make eye protectors by covering them with pieces of sponge or cork, old tennis balls, small terracotta figurines or even balls of modelling clay.

Naturally rot-resistant wood makes good stakes.

• Good choices include redwood, cypress, red cedar, chestnut and hazelnut.
• You can also use bamboo or metal stakes.
• Stakes made from pruned-off branches blend beautifully into an informal garden. Set stripped branches, chosen for their appealing shapes, into the ground right next to the plants in need of support.

Green ties, stakes and netting are relatively invisible in the garden.

• Use a dark green shade of outdoor enamel to paint stakes before installing them near plants.

When given support, a freshly planted tree puts down new roots more quickly and grows faster.

1. Place three stakes around the tree in a triangular pattern.
2. Use taut wire or twine to attach the tree to the stakes, using pieces of cloth, old garden hose or cut-up rubber inner tubes to cushion the parts of the wire that are in direct contact with the tree.
3. Don't tie too tightly, because slight movements caused by the wind help newly planted trees develop stronger, thicker trunks.

Large, heavy flowers, such as irises, delphiniums, gladiolus, chrysanthemums and peonies will hold their heads high if you make a low cage from several bamboo stakes tied together with hemp or jute twine.

• In addition to tying the stakes together around the outside of the plant, include crosswise strings to further support the plants' branches.