My pepper plant snapped in half during a windstorm last Tuesday

I was trying to save it by tying it to a bamboo stake but I guess I didn't secure it tight enough. Has anyone else had their balcony plants break in a sudden gust?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilymurphy1d ago

Tied it to a bamboo stake but I guess I didn't secure it tight enough" - that's a bummer, I've been there. One trick I learned is to use soft cloth strips instead of string, since they give a little in the wind and don't cut into the stem. Also, make sure the stake goes deep into the soil, not just propped against the pot, so it holds steady during gusts.

harper_wells1d ago

Soft cloth strips are fine until they get wet. Then they hold moisture against the break and rot the stem out faster than the wind ever could. String dries out quick and doesn't trap water. Also deep stakes sound good but if you hit a root or a rock in the pot you're just stabbing the plant's own rootball. That does more damage than a broken branch. Sometimes a plant just snaps. That's wind for you. Not every fix is an improvement.