WHILE many plants have a natural support system to hold them up, such as tendrils, twining stems, sucker pads and even stem thickness, many more do not and these may rely on help with their natural growth habit to save them from being damaged or becoming overly congested.
Additional support
Using additional support allows us to affect the natural growth pattern to our benefit as well as the plant’s. Plants like tomatoes and cucumbers, for instance, naturally have a trailing or bushy habit, and would sprawl along the ground if they were left to their own devices. This is not due to having weak stems, it is simply their natural habit. Young plants, especially woody ones, tend to benefit from being supported in their early years to prevent
