ideas to support gladiolus

[ky-dan]

Looking for ideas on how to support glads. I've thought of suspending some concrete reinforcing wire above the bed but I'm afraid the rusty wires might saw thru the flower stems. Maybe not. If you've had success with this method or have other successes please share them. The glads will soon be blooming in Kentucky!

Thanks! Dan D.

[Bill R]

Dan,

I use green bamboo sticks. I got them at Big Lots and they were about $1.50 for a pack of 25 (or 30). They are three feet long and I use some of that green twist tie stuff to tie the plants to the sticks.

[Myrl Jeffcoat]

Green bamboo stakes is what I use also. . .I've never found them at that great price you have though. Guess I need to check out Big Lots.

Thanks!

Myrl Jeffcoat

[ky-dan]

Me too!!! thanks Bill and Myrl. I hate to stake them but if I must, I will. They are too pretty to let them sprawl.

Peace! Dan D.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Take a look at the material I used to make these tomato cages:

roll of that fence wire is $50.00 at Home Depot. I use the 5' high size, but there's a 4' size that a bit cheaper. It lasts for many years, and is easy to bend into a myriad of shapes for the garden. At the end of the season, you can flatten the structures you build and hang them from a hook in the garage.

Now, imagine a piece of that material held horizontally, with your glads growing up through the holes. This concept is similar to various plant support accessories you can buy. Look at this first link:

another: you design them, you can use cheap 1x1 inch sticks to support them. Use garden twine or plastic wire wraps to fasten the wire to the posts. The sticks will gradually weather to a gray color that's not obvious among the plants. I get 3-4 seasons out of these sticks before they begin to rot. (In my photo, the tomato cages use metal stakes because tomatoes require much stronger support).

[JoeSpareBedroom]

PS: In the first picture in my other message, notice that there is a beer on the ground. Although the manufacturer of the fence material doesn't mention this, the fence wire will not work correctly unless there is a beer nearby during the design phase of your support project. Beware.

[Plant Info]

For most plants that need support, I have a method of staking that is inexpensive and usually works. Push bamboo stakes in the ground around the plant (or group of plants) about 8-10 inches apart. Then use the twist tie that comes on a roll or thick twine and loop it around each stake, connecting them to each other.

Suzy O, Wisconsin, zone 5

[ky-dan]

Hey Joe, thanks for the warning about the beer. I can see how it might make the project move along better!

I thought about galvanized fence wire or vinyl coated fence wire. They are smoother and wouldn't be as likely to cause stem damage. I already have some concrete wire but as I mentioned it's rusty and I'm not going to use it for my glads.

I did go by my local Big Lots and was surprised to actually find some of these

3 ft long bamboo sticks!! 25 sticks in a pack for a buck! I'm arguing with my wife to grow some bamboo. I know it's invasive but we have a large back yard and could easily mow around it to keep it in check-- I think. I actually had one nursery man to recommend digging a moat and filling it with concrete to contain bamboo!!! Yikes!

Maybe I'll just buy mine at the store...... Maybe I should go back to Big Lots and snag all the bamboo they have in stock!

Thanks everyone! Dan D.

[Philip Lewis]

you can get clumping bamboo, which is easy enough to keep in check. If you get runner bamboo, 2-3' deep trench and epdm rubber should keep it in check. I've only read this on sites and in the bamboo newsgroups, Someone is bound to tell you how wrong i am. :)

That's the problem with big lots... they usually only run on overstock so they don't always have stuff you need.