Nobody’s Perfect
Yesterday we looked at some of the stakes that, in my opinion, are ideal. But the truth is that flawless is a ridiculous goal if you’re going to enjoy your garden. In our patch of earth, we start out each new spring trying to make everything so picturesque and perfect. Invariably we end up with more plants than supports, and I’m not making another trip to Home Depot. So there I am, scrounging around in the dark corners of the potting garage, pulling out anything that looks like it would hold up a plant. Aesthetics aside, veggies taste just as good supported with found materials, so you have my personal blessing to use whatever you scrounge out of your own shed. Here’s what I found in mine:
Vinyl-Covered Stakes
I probably wouldn’t go out and buy these green vinyl stakes, because they aren’t the sturdiest things in the world. But I do have a few in the garage, so I must have bought them at one point. These are the stakes that you can buy at lawn and garden stores or even at Walmart. They have little nibs on them, which is a plus. They aren’t completely useless, but they’re pretty limited as to what you can use them for, because they usually come in lengths too short for the bad-boy tomato plants we like to grow, and they bend and break easily. Underneath the green vinyl exterior lies a heart of tin, which will not take kindly to being forcefully driven into the ground. If you have any of these, they’ll certainly work with the Veggie Cage or Tomato Ring clamp, but they’ll serve you best with mid-sized plants that aren’t terribly weighty. I think they’d be fine for peppers. Eggplants might pull them over.
PROS:
- You probably have some of these already hanging around in your garage
- The nibs help whatever you attach to them to stay put (Note: Please don’t use string; use Tomato Rings! )
- Less expensive per each than either conduit or decent tomato stakes
- Should last several seasons, if you don’t manhandle them
CONS:
- Interior tin is pretty flimsy; bends or snaps off if handled too roughly, then rusts
- Usually too short to be really useful with most tomato plants
- How do I put this…they lack a certain garden panache. (Oh, I am such a stake snob!)
Rebar
Or should I say, “rusted rebar”, because it always is. And why is it always bent?
While I resort to rebar only as a last resort, I will admit it’s not an impossible choice. But in terms of attractiveness, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say rebar is nice to its mother. Here’s a photo of one of mine, next to its homely cousin, a broken-off piece of wooden stake — but still useful in a pinch.
PROS:
- Will last longer than you will
- Steel, so they’ll rust, but rusted metal is kinda trendy and can look interesting
- Can be found in long enough lengths to be used for tall plants like tomatoes
CONS:
- Super heavy to carry and store
- Will definitely rust, so if you don’t like that look, not the best choice
- Too thin to be topple-proof with heavy plants; shorter pieces for mid-height plants work best
T-Posts
I have no more idea of where those t-posts in our garage came from than I do about the bent rebar. Actually, I should have mentioned t-posts before rebar, because they can be a viable choice if you can get your hands on some 6-footers, like my neighbor uses for her blackberries. My brother-in-law uses 6-foot t-posts for all of his tomato plants in their gigantic garden, and they work just fine. My biggest objection to them is that they aren’t very pretty and are extremely heavy to carry. If my sister-in-law had to haul them out to the garden herself, trust me — they’d be using conduit or wooden stakes.
PROS:
- Can be purchased on 6-foot lengths to be used for tomato plants
- Made of steel, so they’ll last for years and years
- Heavy-duty enough to be pounded in with a post-driver
- You may already have some lurking in your garage
CONS:
- Super-heavy; not a good choice for most women
- Steel will rust
- Bulky to store
And One More We Do Like
Fellow gardeners who ordered garden products from us turned me on to these. Am I the last one to know about the wonders of Y-Stakes? With bendable arms, they come in four sizes. The 3-footers seem to be the most popular, but any of them have their uses. We sell Y-stakes on our site, or they’re available from other online retailers as well.
So there you have it, a rundown of the most commonly-used stakes. Any of them will work for the right plant, but some of them will look prettier while they’re doing it. Just be sure to choose a sufficient length for the plant you’re supporting.
LAST CHANCE TO ENTER FOR OUR BIG GIVEAWAY!
This is the last posting we’ll do before we close our contest for the Veggie Cage and Tomato Ring giveaway – $160.00 worth of garden supports, shipped free to your door! Keep some, share some — truly reTweetable! You have today and Friday to add on to your entries by following us and reTweeting. One entry per reTweet.
Next week’s blog: All-Time Favorite Garden Tools