Willow plant supports

browneyedbazzi

Does anyone make their own willow plant supports?

I visited RHS Wisley a couple of weeks ago and they use a lot of lovely grow through plant supports woven from willow. I'd love to have some similar for my garden as a lot of my perennials are tall and would benefit from supports - I've seen a few nice willow supports in garden centres but they are really expensive...so I thought it might be more MSE to make my own. I was wondering if anyone does this and can offer any advice? Where do you get your willow withies from? Is there a good book/website for patterns/instructions?

Farway

Watch out, willows root readily from cuttings. It is not unknown to find the nice supports turn into trees

Which is why willow wigwams are grown, stick some long willow canes in wigwam shape in, sit back and wait a year

browneyedbazzi

Yes, I've seen things built with living willow that roots and continues to grow (arches, teepees, domes etc) but I was planning to use the dried willow (which you soak to make malleable) rather than the living stuff - I wouldn't think rooting would be a problem with the dried stuff? It looks well and truly dead!

Davesnave

No, but we make our own perennial supports from 6mm steel @ 18p a foot, which is a darn sight cheaper than the fancy plastic coated ones that stand out more and look naff.

No chance of those growing either.

I_have_spoken

IIRC Monty made some of the half-hoop supports using mild-steel rod from a merchants. Just bend around a large pot then fold the ends at right-angles and push into ground around plants.

browneyedbazzi

Davesnave wrote: »

No, but we make our own perennial supports from 6mm steel @ 18p a foot, which is a darn sight cheaper than the fancy plastic coated ones that stand out more and look naff.

No chance of those growing either.

Do you need special tools to cut and bend it?

I would like to do some grow-through supports (like an upside down basket with a very open weave) for my fresias and coreopsis particularly and i expect those will have to be done with willow or similar, but some U shaped steel supports would be useful for other things so I might give that a go if it's cheap and easy!

Davesnave

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

Do you need special tools to cut and bend it?

Not really, though I have some bolt cutters which are easier to use than a hacksaw for cutting the steel to length for different sized hoops.

The steel fabricators here have it in 20' lengths. They're happy to cut these down to whatever size the customer wants, but of course different hoops need different amounts, and there will be a limit to the length vehicles will carry.

So, the steel fabricators can do all the cutting if the customer knows what lengths they need.

The hoops can be formed around a heavy pot or an appropriate tree. Once the U shape has been made, it's simply a matter of standing on the 'legs' and pulling the middle of the U upwards to form the desired shape.

cyclonebri1

I too prefer the hoop type but for safety reasons. It's not funny bending down to dead head a dahlia and getting the sharp end of a stick in the eye.
Rounded hoops every time if you can afford it otherwise a stake made from 1 1/2" sq timber and garden string hoop. The idea is usually to not see the support, although you can go fancy if you want them visible, your choice.;)