Struggling with floppy, top-heavy plants? This twine trick will help you support even the tallest plants
When plants grow out of control its common to see them droop, especially when they have heavy flowers or fruit
Although the heatwave has been hard on our gardens, there are some plants that have thrived in the hot weather. And some that have grown so tall and successfully that they simply cannot hold themselves up. So how can you support them?
Whilst you may know how to support your plants as they grow, sometimes our larger plants can need some special attention, especially when they have an unexpected growth spurt. And when plants carry lots of fruit on higher stems or branches, they can easily droop, causing damage and stress to the plant itself. The same goes for plants with large flowers.
Luckily, the experts on BBC's Gardeners' World have shared their wisdom to keep even your tallest, heaviest plants growing upright and happy.
Whilst you've been helping your garden recover from the numerous heatwaves we've been having, you may have spotted that some of your larger plants have started to keel over.
Whether that's from heavy growth or ill-health, finding a way to support them and get them back up straight is incredibly important.
"This is my cardoon, a prime candidate for falling over. You see, the flower heads are so heavy. I'm going to tie it up with string. Now you might just think, oh, just lash around a bit of string, and all will be well, but there's a way to make this easy, particularly if you're working on your own," explains Toby Buckland, presenter on BBC's Gardeners' World.
Have your essential garden tools at the ready before you start. If you don't have garden scissors, then secateurs are a great alternative.
"What you do is you get your string, fold it over, and then tie a knot in that to create a loop. That is going to save you so much hassle when drawing this plant back, because what I do is take that loop around the stem of my cardoon, the other end goes around the fencing pin, and then the end of the string goes through the loop," says Toby.
"I just draw it back through, taking the weight of the cardoon as the string hauls it back upright. Quick hitch in there like that and the plant's tied off," he shows.
Add this to your September gardening jobs list, but make sure to keep an eye on your taller plants as they grow next year to avoid premature flopping!
As the cold weather arrives, it's also a good idea to start protecting your plants from heavy rain, especially the taller ones. With rain comes wind, and taller plants usually take the brunt of the gusts, which can seriously damage them.
