Hello Professor,
I’ve been growing for about a year now and I’m getting a lot better, but one problem I have is with bending and training my plants.
Whenever I tie a branch down, or bend a top over the gardening wire that I buy at the store, the wire cuts into the plant like when a tree grows into barbed wire. What should I use instead?
Seth.
Hey Seth,
Wire is always a bad choice. My first couple crops were done up with long twisty-ties and looked like some kind of bondage nightmare. Most stores will carry a pruning/training tape made from plastic or cloth. It’s about a centimeter wide ( ¼ to ½ an inch ) and has some stretch to it. This stuff works great for splinting up a broken branch or tying a plant to a support of some kind. To save a few dollars I used to use simple cloth strips torn from old t-shirts to secure my plants. The wide surface prevented the strip from cutting into the plant’s tissue. Be sure to make a loose loop around the actual point of contact instead of tying it down too tightly. This will prevent the plant from growing into the material. Think of a hang man’s noose that isn’t cinched down all the way and you’ll have the idea.
With every crop your skill will increase, so keep up the good work! It’s knot easy, but I’m sure you can do it!
Professor Lee.