Re: Floppy Plants

There are a couple things you can do to deal with floppy plants. 
You can use plants with much stronger stems to help keep them 
up.  You can use or make a circular grid which you place over 
the clump just when it begins to come up - they grow up into it 
(you have to make one for the really tall stuff).  

There is another reason plants do this - there is some 
environmental problem.  For example, my aconite seed blew from 
one side of the perennial garden, across the path to the other 
side.  The soil there was much rockier and not as deep (I hadn't 
yet gotten to triple-digging it).  I now have about 8 gorgeous 
but flopped over aconites.  I believe this is because they 
weren't able to develop the very deep root system they like to 
have.  Too much or too little water and nutrient deficiencies 
can cause this as well.

OTOH, some just do it.  And yes, it is a side effect of some 
hybridization programs.  

> My thought is this.  I don"t believe that nature intended some plants
> to need staking.  It seems that they are planted in the wrong place or
> have been over hybridized to the point that the stem isn't strong
> enough to support the flower. I really couldn't stake the C. Bells at
> all because the stems are so brittle that you really can't rearrange
> them without risk of breaking the whole stem off.  Does everyone else
> have this problem with C. Bells?  They are too lovely for words so are
> worth whatever I need to do to prevent this from happening next year. 
> This is my first year with this garden, as you all know, so I know
> I've made lots of mistakes. 

I'm sure you don't want me to list all the mistakes I made this 
year.  :)

> I believe that C.Bells are a biennial.  Does that mean they 
> won't come back next year at all?  I have the same
> question about my Sweet Williams, which were also beautiful but are
> through blooming now.  
> Thanks for your help.
> Jeanne

Jeanne, most biennials self-sow very nicely.  But by their 
nature, biennials develop leaves the first year and flower the 
next.  I have a constant succession of Sweet William & 
Canterbury Bells but you may indeed have a down year.  OTOH, 
don't assume they won't come back.  Many biennials have been 
coming back for me for years and years.

Jaime
jknoble@warwick.net
Z6/5, NW NJ
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