Frugal Plant Supports?

[fidgiegirl]

Hi all . . .

Some of my plants need something like this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21aUfgg96VL._AA115_.jpg

or

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31XvQJtQouL._AA115_.jpg

But since I need several, I hate to pay so much per support.

Ideas for how to rig something more frugal, but still attractive?

We do have hardware cloth and chicken wire on hand, so I guess we could make some shortish cages that would hold the stalks up . . . I just feel like they might be kind of ugly.

Hmmmmm . . .

[Float On]

At one time I bought a few of each of those you pictured. Hated them! And I didn't feel they really supported the plants well and they didn't look - natural.
I ended up cutting some willow and building square supports with twine, you could use bamboo I usually see bamboo poles in the garden area at lowes for not much money if you don't have any type of willow.

[Marianne]

I have tons of rings for plant supports made with scrap pieces of 2x4 welded wire fencing. DH cut the top wire off, leaving the vertical wires sticking up. He drilled a hole in a thick dowel, put the wire in the hole and curled it down. Then did that to all the wires at the top. I spray painted some white - I use those on some house plants, mainly to keep errant cats from digging. They really are cute.

My mother has used different fencing pieces for support rings. She spray paints them all green. Then as the plant grows, it's very well disguised. You could do that with the hardware cloth and chicken wire. I bet no one would notice them later.

[jania]

I pretty much use bamboo for everything these days, anchoring plants to the bamboo with linen or jute twine. It kind of disappears from far away and isn't too ugly up close either. If you are needing more than one stake I'd suggest creating a circle with bamboo stakes then you could always weave the twine, grid-like fashion, to mimic the bottom picture you provided.

[nickiefriend]

I need to find something to support my pole beans. This year I used an old piece of decorative door frame thingy. It worked for awhile, but the pieces kept breaking in the wind and I had more zip ties on that thing that the big orange store! Anybody have any ideas? I dont want to spend a bunch of money on some special item, just something that will work.

[Marianne]

I never have tried this, but I saw a picture of a tall tripod made with 2" thick tree branches. The branches were connected at the top, teepee style. The legs were pushed into the ground. He had something wrapped around it, like wire or nylon twine, too. Seems like he had three or four rows of that, so the beans would have something to grab onto or you would have a place to put a tie. There weren't instructions, just a show and tell thing. I bet some well placed screws could be used to twist the wires or twine around to keep them in place.

I saw a similar set up using 2x2 wood. That guy would take the supports down and store them for use the following year.

I also saw an old ladder used as a support once. It's so windy here, I'd have to have everything set in concrete to keep it down.