My Flowers are Falling Over
Some tall flowers develop sturdy stems and a bushy growth habit when you cut them back. Unfortunately, bachelor’s buttons don’t fall into that category. All you accomplish with a mid-season cut is a loss of flowers with little time left to produce new ones. Bachelor’s button stems loaded with flowers in full bloom tend to flop over just when the flowers are at their best. It’s a good idea to plan in advance for the likelihood that they will eventually fall. Anticipate the problem and take care of it early in the season. “Why are my flowers falling over?”, you ask. When your bachelor’s buttons topple over, it isn’t because you’ve done anything wrong. They simply become top-heavy, especially after heavy rain. When thoroughly drenched, water collects between the petals to make the blossoms even heavier and the plant’s thin stems can’t support them. Staking bachelor’s buttons is the best way to deal with toppling plants.
Staking Bachelor’s Buttons
For best results, stake your flowers before they bloom. Bamboo poles or one-inch (2.5 cm.) diameter wooden stakes are perfect. Those with a green tint will blend in so that they aren’t so obvious. Tie the plants to the stakes with soft, thick string or even strips of pantyhose. Nylon lines and thin string cut into the stems and damage the plant. Tie the plant loosely so that it has room to move in the breeze. You can place the stake in the center of a group of plants and weave the string around them, using as few stakes as necessary to stabilize the plants. You’ll have to continuously retie the plants as they grow. Another alternative is to use a round or teepee-shaped wire support. These supports are inexpensive, and although they will show more at first, they disappear as the plants grow around them. An advantage of these systems is that you don’t have to tie the plants. If you stake your plants in advance, you won’t find yourself asking “Why are my flowers falling over?” later on. Staking nips is one of the most common bachelor’s button problems in the bud so you can enjoy your flowers.
