How to Keep Flowers From Falling Over

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Things You'll Need

  • Stakes

  • Soft string or twine

  • Hammer

Flowers are supposed to look toward the sky and not be facedown in the mud. While most flowers can hold their own weight, some fall over due to large blooms, heavy rain or wind. In such cases, staking your flowers keeps them upright in your garden for your enjoyment. Flowers that need staking include peonies, delphiniums, bellflowers and asters, according to Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont.

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Step 1

Purchase stakes that are long enough that 25 percent of the length of the stake is underground. If your flower stalks are 4 feet tall, purchase stakes that are 5 feet long.

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Step 2

Push the stake into the ground 1 to 2 inches from the flower that needs support using your hands or a hammer. Insert the stake into the ground one-fourth of its total length.

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Step 3

Hold the stem of the flower next to the stake when buds start to appear. Wrap the soft twine or string around the flower and stake in a figure eight. Tie the string in place.

Step 4

Bunch flowers on one stake if they grow close together. Tie the twine or string in a figure eight around all of the flowers to keep them upright.

Tip

If the flower stalks start leaning over before buds appear, stake them early.

Wooden stakes and cast iron rods both make good flower stakes.

Warning

Avoid pushing the stake into the base of the flowering plant. If the plant has rhizomes, you might damage them by doing this.

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