How to: Stake Tall Plants
An easy-to-install pipe system makes light work of a challenging chore
Staking tall perennials each year is no one’s favourite gardening job. And delphiniums are the worst. In early spring, it is easy to move around in the perennial bed and push heavy stakes into the soil but it will be weeks before the rusty rebar or chunky bamboo is camouflaged by foliage. By June, it is difficult to install stakes without damaging neighbouring plants. Here’s a simple solution that will save you time and aggravation for years to come: bury lengths of plastic pipe at the base of each tall plant to create permanent “sleeves” into which stakes can be inserted each year. To prevent soil from filling the sleeves, cap the tops of the pipes when not in use. You will still need to tie stems to stakes, but the real grunt work of staking will be done.
##Step 1##
Calculate the number of required stakes—one per small plant, two or three per large clump. For every stake, you will need one foot of plastic pipe and a plastic plumbing cap to fit over it, for example, 10 stakes equals 10 feet of plastic piping and 10 caps.
##Step 2##
Purchase plastic plumbing pipe with a diameter wider than your stakes (1½" diameter pipe for a 1" diameter stake is ideal). Have your plumbing supplier cut the lengths of pipe into 1-foot sections. Drill a hole in the top of each length of pipe and in the side of each cap. Attach a cap to each pipe section with wire so that it isn’t lost in the garden.
##Step 3##
Dig a hole 10" deep at the base of each plant where you want a stake. A pry bar, transplanting spade or earth auger will all do the job. Insert a length of pipe into the hole and gently tap it into the soil with a hammer, leaving ½" showing above the ground. Ensure that the pipe is standing straight and tamp soil firmly around it. When your plants need support, simply slide your stakes into the plastic pipes and tie the stems to the stakes. Your stakes will stand straight, be easy to remove during fall cleanup and will last much longer because they were not in contact with the soil.
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