Supporting and tying up plants
Many vegetable plants grow tall or bear so heavily that without help they buckle or lie on the ground. A good support keeps them upright, provides air and light and makes harvesting easier. Properly supported, the plants stay healthier and the fruit stays clean.
The important thing is to support early enough and tie loosely so nothing gets constricted.
In short
- Tomatoes, runner beans, peas and cucumbers need a climbing aid or support.
- Stakes, spiral rods, climbing nets, strings or bean poles suit different crops.
- Tie loosely with soft material – ideally in a figure-of-eight loop.
- Benefits: more air and light, less rot, clean fruit, easier harvesting.
Which plants need support?
Classic candidates are cordon tomatoes, runner beans, peas, cucumbers and tall peppers. Heavily bearing bush tomatoes or aubergines also appreciate some support. Root and leafy vegetables, on the other hand, manage without.
Choosing the right support
- Tomato stakes/spiral rods: for cordon tomatoes – the spiral gives extra hold.
- Climbing net/trellis: for cucumbers, peas and mangetout.
- Bean poles/wigwam: for runner beans, often set up as a tent.
- Strings: in the greenhouse tomatoes are often trained up strings.
How to tie correctly
Tie loosely and with soft material (raffia, coconut tape, wide plant clips), never with thin wire. Guide the string in a figure-of-eight loop between stake and stem – so nothing chafes and the stem has room to thicken. Check regularly and re-tie as the plant grows.
Frequently asked questions
When should I support?
Best right at planting – then you do not damage the roots and the plant grows straight from the start.
Do I have to support bush tomatoes?
Not necessarily, but a short stake or a ring keeps the fruit-laden shoots off the ground and protects against rot.
Tip
Put the support stake in right at planting – if you push it in later you easily hit the roots and damage the plant.
Caution
Never tie too tightly: if the tie constricts, the vessels of the plant are pinched off. Always leave some slack for thickening growth.
Strong young plants with stable growth are especially easy to raise and support. We raise our young plants to be robust.