If you have a plant that is expected to reach more than 3.5 feet or has large stalks and heavy foliage, we suggest supporting the plant and blooms with a stake. There are a lot of different products on the market that can be used for staking. You might want to go to your local nursery or to a home improvement store to explore the available options. Please keep in mind that some of these plants will grow five or more feet tall and become heavy with blooms. Place your stake about three inches from the tuber where the eye was forming so you are allowing plenty of room for your plant to grow yet staking it close enough to support the plant.
We use electrical metal conduit. They cost us about $2.50 for a 10′ piece which can be cut in half. Some stores may cut them for you. We then place PVC pipe over the post so we can snip the top sides to hold our nameplates. Since we are a commercial grower, we use this method so our customers can easily identify the plant’s name.
Some people use metal fence posts but since we pull our stakes every year, we find they are hard to remove often times requiring a fence post remover tool. We find that Bamboo stakes are not strong enough for our plants, especially the larger ones. There are also commercial plant support systems so check around and find what works best for your plants.
Once the plant starts growing strong and blooming, the fun begins! Keep cutting flowers because for every flower you cut, two more will grow in its place! You will get more flowers to enjoy throughout the season. As they continue to grow, secure the stems to the stake as needed to support your beautiful plant.