A Container Plant Needs Support!
A container plant that is vining requires support in order to grow vertically. This will keep them healthy and protect them from pests and diseases. You do not need to provide support for bush plants. When you first start growing plants in containers, you may wonder if some of them require assistance. I’ve made the first article about it, so learn more!
Wire Fence
You can make a cage for a container plant out of inexpensive wire fencing. This can be very sturdy and useful for heavy fruit plants like tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. It is also useful for plants with very long vines. It is best to use a 14 gauge wire fence to ensure that it is sturdy. The fencing should be at least 4 feet tall in order to support most container plants. To cut this wire fence, you’ll need a cutting tool with a gauge of about 18 gauge.
Pro Tip
- Cut a piece of wire fence that is slightly longer than the diameter of your container. The wire fence can then be folded into a circular structure to form a cage.
- You can tie the wire fence in this structure together with twine, ties, or intertwine the wire itself to keep it in place. It’s preferable if you can put the wire fence cage in the container before adding the potting soil. However, if the plant is already developing, you can place it.
- To make prongs that can dig deep into the soil, you’ll need to cut the wires at one end.
- Bamboo pegs can be inserted through the openings in the wire fence and into the potting soil to give the wire fence cage even more solidity. Make careful to cut some of the wire at various cage heights.
This will provide you with plenty of room to care for the plant and gather any delicacies.
Netting
Netting can be used to make a trellis. They’re perfect for growing vines like pole beans and string beans. You can use any type of nets for a container plant, such as jute, string, wire, or nylon, as long as it is strong and flexible enough to support a container plant. You can make your own trellis out of bamboo stakes and any of the materials listed above, such as jute strings. Because the bamboo pegs must be planted into the ground to provide stable support, some soil will be required where the containers are placed.
Pro Tip
The bamboo stakes can also be inserted into 5-gallon containers and placed behind a container plant. The bamboo pegs can be placed in the soil behind the plants to ensure that they are appropriately spaced. Make sure to pound them into the ground with a hammer or mallet for strong support. Begin at the bottom of the stake, tying the jute strings horizontally across all of the bamboo stakes to form a line. Repeat the process, increasing the distance between the string lines to 4-5 inches on the bamboo stakes.
After That
You’ve completed all of the horizontal lines of string on the bamboo stakes, you can begin tying the strings vertically. Repeat the process, but this time tie the strings about 4-5 inches apart to form a netting. As the vines grow, intertwine them with jute string netting to allow them to grow vertically and with plenty of support a container plant.
Balcony Railing
If you’re growing plants on an apartment balcony, you can support vining plants with the existing railing. Simply toss the vines over the railing and they will cascade over it. If you have a grill on your balcony window, you can train the vining plants through the grill sections. And then let them fall out the window, cascading over the grill. You could even train the vines up the grill by tying them to it. The only issue is that if the vines grow too thick, they may block sunlight.