Stake your claim
Burpee Edible Gardening Team Members
With your plants now in their forever-home, make sure you offer them a little extra support with a cage frame, stake, trellis, or other system of your devising. Installing support now while the plant is still relatively small will save you the chance of damage trying to fit anything overgrown into a vice.
Besides the anticipation of heavy fruiting, more good reasons to stake your claim is young plants that grow straight and tall will help maximize airflow to prevent disease. It will also give you better access to the soil for watering and keeping weeds at-bay.
Vegetable plants that will need a little more support include tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans or other climbers, peppers, and sometimes eggplant. We love using rectangular wire cages for tomatoes. They also fold flat and are easy to store in the winter. For smaller plants, sometimes a simple stake and garden twine can hold things together. Careful not to tie it too tight, though; leave some slack, as your plant will continue to grow!
Whether in the ground or on a patio, supporting your veggies gets you ready for a long, fulfilling harvest season! Got any questions? Ask us anytime!