Thanks for the warning, Ken. I've fried plants using metal stakes and rods with our intense sun and heat. It stands to reason the reverse would also hold true. I'm sorry you had dead canes from them. Do you think a length of old garden hose slipped over the rod and secured in place with ties might insulate enough to prevent the freeze damage? I prefer the strength of metal stakes as well as their increased longevity over wood. I can imagine wooden ones would last an even shorter time with your rains, heat and freezes. We balance it out by having the intensity of sun and heat, plus extreme winds, while you have the harsher cold, rain and more constant humidity.

I wonder if the ties were secured around the cane, a short length (just enough to prevent the cane from being tied against the stake) then the loose ends of the tie secured around the stake might work? I do that when securing climbers to wrought iron fencing here and it's worked. Kim

Yikes! Thanks for the warning Ken. I use metal chicken wire posts a lot when I stake things, now I'll know not to do that! Never even thought about that! (I'm from Florida too...silly Floridians!)

Tammy

I'd never really thought about using uncoated metal for stakes, but had it ever occured to me I now know not to do it from your experience. I use those plastic coated stakes you can get at Ace Hardware or the box stores. They last a pretty long time. I also have a collection of sturdy bamboo canes I mail ordered many years ago that seem to hold up pretty well. I like the Bamboo because you can cut it to length, but lately the kind you find at the box stores is not as solid and sturdy as what they used to sell years ago....Thanks for posting your experience. Makes us all better gardeners to hear from others OOPS!....Maryl

I'm glad the Steel Stakes types last well in OK for you, Maryl. They shed their plastic coating here in my garden in about 18 months, leaving a rusty, bare metal stake. But, the don't break like wooden ones do and never get termites, the bane of these mountains. Kim

Good info, Ken, thanks! I am puzzled though. I have several metal trellises, some steel and some aluminum, on my roses and I don't recall having that problem. I wonder why. I do use the plastic or bamboo ones for staking usually. But I know we've all talked about using re-bar for making climber supports. Interesting and now I'll have to check this out on mine!

I have a rose on a metal trellis and have used metal stakes frequently. Never noticed a problem. The stakes will be about the same temperature as the air unless it's sunny--then they will be warmer. Possibly Ken's damage was coincidental?