Staking Options for Dahlias
There are a number of acceptable staking options for dahlias, which can fit your needs both in budget and size of garden. There are several options available. As you read below, look for underlined words, which are links to samples of the products we have used.
Staking is likely needed for any plant over 3.5-4 feet tall and particularly in windy environments. Dahlias often can get a bit top heavy and the strain of wind and blooms can cause branches to tear off lower down the plant. If you have varieties that can grow 5-6 feet, these will be most at risk for damage and the winds will tear them apart.
Lets look at some of the most common staking methods and consider cost. The first year I grew dahlias, I simply planted them densely and used baling twine to tie several plants together, essentially allowing the plants to brace themselves. This worked well, but the orange baling twine was not the most aesthetic choice.
Tomato Cages: This is a popular choice by many gardeners. They come in a variety of sizes and can be used for several years. Coming in galvanized steel or powder coded in several trendy colors, which can be a fun addition to the garden. In green they blend in. Many use the tomato cage upside down, as support, but in windy conditions it would be necessary to have the stakes into the ground for stability. These are easily located in garden centers.
Tomato cages come in multiple heights which is good for plants up to 4 feet tall. Tomato cages offer the benefit of multiple tiers of support, can be used several years and are not the most expensive option out there.
Peony Rings: Peony rings can be open centered with a simple outer ring, or divided as this picture shows. Like a tomato cage, the legs can be driven into the ground. This Peony hoop sits thigh high against my 5’4″ frame. The plant and lateral branches can grow up through the frame. These can be a little more expensive to acquire and unlike tomato cages, the support is at one level. They do blend in, can be used for multiple seasons, but depending on the source may be a bit more expensive than tomato cages. Another benefit is if you are planting densely, plants can grow between these, and share several rings.
Garden Stakes: Are another popular choice and one we use frequently. They can come in a variety of media. Some use branches from pruned fruit trees, others use bamboo. They are also available in plastic coated steel stakes or you can use steel t-posts which are long lasting and come in a variety of heights. We use 48 inch stakes mostly, but for the taller dahlias, you should use 6-8 foot stakes like these pictured. You will need something to attach the plant to the stake as it grows and there are a few things to use. We have horses, and miles of extra baling twine. This is a free, but bright rope we tie around the whole plant to hold the lateral branches around the stake.
The plastic garden tape blends in more and is not too costly. It does stretch and become brittle with UV light.
Netting: Netting can be suspended between t-posts or garden stakes. Laid out along the length of the row, the plants grow through the netting. You can use one or two of these stacked to provide some lateral support. The ones we bought are a nylon base, but these will likely have UV light damage and would probably require replacement yearly. You could zip tie this to the posts, and if using netting, you would not need a garden stake for every plant.
Velcro Tape: This can be used to hold the netting to posts, or to hold each plant to its own garden stake. It works like velcro, with the added benefit of changing the size as the plants grow, which would allow for the growth of the stem over a season. The plant velcro can get dirt and debris into the little hooks and impact connection over time. But it’s reasonably inexpensive.
Plant Cable Ties: These are also velcro based, but are precut to a specific length. They work exactly like the velcro tape. Plant cable ties are a velcro based zip tie. They have the same issues as the tape, but should be reusable for a few seasons and are reasonably priced.
Lever Loop Gripper Clips: These are handy because they can attach directly to the plastic coated garden stakes or bamboo stakes. The clip cleverly clips around the stem and the top clips to the round stake. While these work when the plant is small, they start to fail when the stem gets thick in full maturity.
Using stakes for each plant can be costly and unwieldy for long rows. Placement of t-posts in a row spaced 8-10 feet apart allows jute to be used to brace. When the plants are first 8-12 inches tall, you weave the jute around the stems forming a figure eight. As the plants grow taller, you repeat this at 24 inches and 48 inches.
Jute: Jute can be a simple and inexpensive, while biodegradable. It comes in green or brown colors, 2, 3 of 4 ply. Each ply increases the strength and tension that the jute can tolerate. This may be useful for long rows, but jute will get weathered by UV light, water and weather. I would use at least 3 ply, but if going for longer rows, or wider spaces between the t post a 4 ply might be a better option.
Pots and Support: If you choose to grow in a pot and are growing dwarf varieties, staking won’t be necessary. But taller varieties will need support even in the pot. Pots like this one can be handy having a tomato cage style support off the pot. Individual stakes, peony rings or tomato cages may also be a good choice. There are many decorative trellis’s for pots you can add to the pots/ grow bags you already have.
There are many staking options for dahlias that can fit about any gardeners budget and garden space. From functional to form, you should be able to find a good match for your garden space.
