Getting the support right

Some plants have developed tall strong stems to lift their leaves and flowers up to the light but others have developed other tactics. Some plants with weak spindly stems will find a suitable host and scramble or climb up towards the light. Not all of these, however, choose to climb in the same way. Some cling, others weave, some twined, others use crampon style tactics and then there are those that just need something to lean on. When we grow  climbing plants, either as ornamentals or food crops we need to give them the right sort of support.

Runner beans will twist their stems around any upright. For this reason most gardeners train them up bamboo canes. They may need a little encouragement at first and sometimes decide to stray into a neighbouring beans area and wind themselves around the other plant on their upward journey. Runner bean plants always wind in an anti-clockwise direction. There is general disagreement as to why this is, some say that the stems follow the direction of the sun and that in the southern hemisphere the stems wind in the opposite direction. I read that someone in the UK said climbing French beans climb clockwise but our Cobra beans definitely curl anticlockwise as does the dreadful bindweed that had a stranglehold on our autumn raspberries. Can anyone in the southern hemisphere confirm whether out not their beans twine clockwise.


Peas and sweet peas on the other hand send out tendrils that search out something to cling to.

Having located something the tendrils will attempt to take hold by curling around the object. (It's amazing how quickly the tendrils react, try placing a twig or stick against an unattached tendril and watch it curl around it). This can only be achieved if the intended climbing frame is relatively thin. Bamboo canes are too thick so many gardeners will create a bamboo frame and attach strings or netting that the tendrils can catch hold of. A more natural climbing frame can be provided using twiggy branches. Gardeners growing show sweet peas often remove the tendrils thereby denying the plant its means of climbing and so tie the plants to canes.

Clematis climb in a similar way to peas except they don't have tendrils. They use some of their leaf stems to wrap around fine objects such a wires, although they may need tying in to set them off in the right direction.

Other plants like ivy or climbing hydrangeas use special root hairs. These form when the stem meets a suitable surface. The plants excretes a glue like substance with which to stick itself to the surface and then the tiny root hairs worm their way into any tiny gaps in the surface. Once the root hair penetrate the surface they lock themselves firmly in place. In effect with little need for encouragement these plants will scale the heights of most upright surfaces.

Finally there are the shrubby plants that we call climbings but that don't naturally climb. This type of plant - that is often also some sort of shrub needs training on and tying onto some sort of structure. It often also needs pruning into shape. This group of plants includes climbing roses which links me nicely to a request. We want a couple of climbing roses for our coldframe courtyard. We are looking for single roses with good perfume that are fairly disease resistant and not too vigorous and also a white variety for the white and blue birder, Any suggestions?

Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett