Best Support Methods for Flowers

Supporting your flowers can be a real challenge. Some of the methods are clunky, and its hard to find a good method that looks good and cohesive in the garden. After Reading this blog post, you should have a better understanding of what support systems to use for your garden space. Everyones space is different, so its important to use the one that will fit your space/ needs the best.

What is a flower support?

Flower supports help flower stems stay upright. They could need support for a few reasons. Blooms may become top heave and snap the stems in any sort of wind or rain weather event. Sometimes stems to not grow straight on their own, so by adding the support we keep flower stems straight.

Straight flower stems are not required for the gardener, but if you like a nice tidy look, or plant to use them for cut flowers, having them straight and up-right is optimal. Having the blooms upright will also lower the likelihood of an animal or human brushing against them and potentially damaging the flowers.We find that we do not need to support all of our flowers, just the ones that are a bit more fragile.

Mature height is important when finding a support system. Typically you want the support to be 1/2 of your mature height. So if the plant’s mature height is 36” you would want the support to be at 18”.

Support methods:

1.) Netting and stakes

Using Hortnova netting with metal stakes (rebar is great) is the most cost-effective way to support flowers with the biggest area. We used this method when we grew cut flowers to sell to florists. Cut the netting to the desired length and trim it to fit your area. It’s relatively easy to set up, just make sure the netting is taught.

After the netting is over the plants, you can slide the netting up or down if needed. Hornova netting is great for inground plants that need to cover a lot of space. Remember to place the netting on the plants before they start to flop over. Ideally, we install netting when plants are under 12” tall so they can grow through the netting.

The netting squares are a 6” by 6” spacing. If you have a plant that needs to be planted every 6” plant one in each square for easy spacing. For 9” spacing, plant every other square, they will all be diagonal. like a cheakerboard.

2.) Peony Cages

If you have been following me, you know we love a good Peony cage! They are extremely versatile in the garden. We typically use them in our containers but they are great for ingroung plants as well. I would use these in a garden setting where plants are close together, and you have lots of different kinds of plants growing. You can place the peony cage over the plants that need support easily, without having to support the entire bed.

Like the netting, Peony cages like to be placed on the plants before they get tall, so typically I recommend placing them on top of the plants as soon as you can. Ideally when they are under 12”. When peony cages are put on at the proper stage, they can seamlessly hide in the garden, making them a perfect support option.

3.) Single stem hoops

These are great options for gardeners who only need to support a couple of stems in the ground or in a container. They are also great to use if you forget to support a plant at a younger stage. Simply put the stake in the ground, and gently place the stem inside the hoop.

4.) Support Hoops

Support hoops are a great option if you have a larger clump of plants that are falling over. Ideally, a peony cage would be used but sometimes it’s hard to place a peony cage on top of a plant that is already flopping over. These are great for holding up flowers that may be falling onto walkways or even containers.

5.) Tomato cages

A lot of people have tomato cages lying around their yard so it’s a great option for people who want to repurpose them for flowers. We love using them for any Dahlia plants we grow. Tomato cages can sometimes look ‘bulky’ so think about growing vines them to soften the look.

These are some of the easiest support systems to install in your garden for flowers especially for beginners. Hope you give give them a try! Happy gardening!