Staking and Supporting Annuals: Methods for Upright, Beautiful Plants

Many annuals are neat and tidy, ambling along the ground or forming low mounds that stay attractive after heavy rain. Others grow tall and straggly—without stakes or string, their stems flop, creating an untidy look.

After staking, install edging for a neat flower bed border. Learn how.

continue reading below

Fragrant sweet peas need a support to climb.

Pea-Staking An ancient method: spread pruned tree branches; plants grow up through twigs, eventually covering them. (Term originated in English vegetable gardens for pea vines.)

Cat's Cradle Wind green garden twine back and forth and diagonally across four wooden or bamboo stakes at plot corners.

Bamboo Stakes Real or plastic bamboo stakes, or thin straight wooden stakes, support single-stemmed plants. Use plastic clips, string, or twist ties to secure stems.

Garden catalogs offer interlocking green plastic-coated wire stakes in various shapes (square, spiral "S"). Plastic loops ride up and down straight supports, growing with plants.

Climbing annuals (morning glories, cup-and-saucer vine, hops, sweet peas, scarlet runner bean) need tall vertical supports. Most grow on trellises, latticework, or vertical strings. Hops are heavier—use a sturdy tripod of wooden poles lashed at top, or a stout trellis/arbor. Hops excel for shading porches and screening compost piles.

Trellises Freestanding or wall-mounted. Flat trellises use wood strips in lattice, fans, or geometric shapes. Buy or build your own.

If your front porch has a wooden railing, plant morning glories or thin-stemmed vines to screen, shade, and decorate. Screw small metal hooks (like cup hooks) at intervals into railing and roof above, tie string or fishing line between hooks. Plant vines in pots or planters so stems climb strings.