Give a climbing or top-heavy plant something to lean on and it rewards you with more crop in less space, cleaner produce and far fewer problems. Leave it to sprawl and you get tangled growth, rotting fruit, snapped stems and slugs moving in. Supporting plants is one of the simplest, cheapest jobs in the garden — here is what to use, when to put it in, and how.
- Save space grow upward, not outward
- Cleaner crops fruit off the soil
- Air & light fewer diseases
- Easy picking everything in reach
Why support your plants
Plants that flop or climb do far better off the ground. Vertical growth makes the most of a small plot, keeps fruit and flowers clean and away from slugs, and lets air and light move freely through the leaves — which means fewer diseases like mildew and blight. It also saves the heartbreak of a heavy plant snapping in a summer storm.
Which plants need support
- Climbers that want to go up: peas, climbing beans, sweet peas, cucumbers and some squashes.
- Tall or top-heavy plants: cordon tomatoes, sunflowers, dahlias and gladioli.
- Floppy growers: many cut flowers and tall perennials that lean or collapse in wind and rain.
Types of support
- Canes & wigwams — the classic for beans and sweet peas; cheap, quick and reusable.
- Trellis & netting — flat against a wall or fence for peas, cucumbers and climbing flowers.
- Stakes & ties — a single stout stake for tomatoes, sunflowers and dahlias.
- Obelisks & arches — decorative height for sweet peas and climbing flowers.
- Pea sticks — twiggy branches pushed in for peas and floppy plants to scramble through.
- Strings — for greenhouse cordon tomatoes and cucumbers grown up a single line.
How to support, step by step
- Put it in early at planting
- Match the plant to final size
- Tie loosely soft string
- Guide & check weekly
- Secure before storms
The golden rule: get supports in place at or soon after planting, before roots and stems are in the way. Pick a support that suits the plant's final size, tie stems loosely with soft string in a figure-of-eight so you never strangle them, and check weekly — climbers grow fast. Firm everything in well before the first summer storms.
Tips for popular crops
- Climbing beans & sweet peas: a cane wigwam or double row; they twine themselves once you start them off.
- Peas: push in twiggy pea sticks or netting and let the tendrils do the work.
- Cordon tomatoes: train one stem up a stake or string and pinch out the side shoots; bush types need far less.
- Cucumbers: train up netting or strings to save space and keep the fruit clean and straight.
- Sunflowers & dahlias: give each a sturdy stake and tie in as they grow.
Materials and make-do
You do not need to spend much. Bamboo canes, hazel or willow prunings, twiggy branches, a length of recycled trellis and a ball of soft string between them cover almost every job. Reuse supports year after year, and store them somewhere dry over winter so they last.
Frequently asked questions
When should I put supports in?
Early — at or just after planting, before the plant is in the way and while it is easy to train.
What should I tie with?
Soft string or twine, in a loose figure-of-eight, so stems can swell without being cut.
Do bush tomatoes need staking?
Less than cordons, but a short stake helps carry heavy trusses of fruit.
Can I grow climbers in pots?
Yes — stand a wigwam or obelisk in a large pot and grow beans, sweet peas or cucumbers up it.
Hold your climbers up, then browse all seeds.
