Plant supports are an essential tool in every gardeners tool box. Not only do they keep plants up off the ground and looking neat and tidy, but they also help to maintain a plant’s health and prevent the development of mould and rot on plant’s fruits or vegetables.
Plant supports come in a range of shapes, sizes and designs and one great way to make your own plant supports using wigwams cane grips. These simple plastic discs allow you to easily produce your own supports when used in combination with bamboo canes. The result is a tepee shaped climbing frame which will elevate your crops off the ground
Wigwams cane grips are most commonly used on vegetable patches and have but an aesthetic as well as practical function here. The tall frames rising above the vegetable rows can make an attractive break from the norm and add height and interest to your garden.
In terms of functionality, wigwams cane grips make caring for crops such as peas, beans, cucumber, tomatoes, squash and peppers. The wigwam frames make great space savers in a small garden as you introduce an element of vertical gardening. These vertical gardens are easier to maintain as crop care including spraying, pruning and harvesting can be done with ease and without the need to bend over or crouch.
Wigwam cane grip supports can be strategically positioned around your vegetable garden to provide shade to areas of your garden. Some plants such as salads, radish chard & broccoli will all grow happily in a bit of shade. And some crops, like lettuce, need to be shaded in the summer months to prevent bolting. A tall cane grip frame can provide this necessary shading and allow you to maximise your vegetable patch
Remember, that when chosen the location of your cane grip support frame – consider crop rotation and don’t grow the same crop in the same place for two consecutive years. Crop such as bean and peas, which are ideal for cane grips should be rotated every year as these ‘legume’ crops actually add nutrients to the soil. So they are very beneficial
Elsewhere in the garden cane grip supports can also be used. Again, by creating a tepee frame with bamboo canes you can create supports for a whole host of plants. Use smaller bamboo canes to support lower growing plants such as penstemons, lupins, delphiniums, asters and rudbeckias. While for taller plants and climber such as sweetpea, Jasmin and honeysuckle you can use taller bamboo canes. This will allow you to again, add height to your borders and create focal points