i found.. over the years ... that wood rots ... so they need to be replaced ... so i moved away from wood ...

compare here ...: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/plant-stakes-ties-cages

ken

Now use polyethylene coated. The sturdy tallest ones, which are quite expensive here, don't get bent by perennials, but some of the cheaper more common lighter ones do. All round, perhaps the old bamboo stakes were actually a better buy.

Here, stakes are home-grown, winterkilled bamboo. The Fargesia rufa is exactly like what you buy, and the Phyllostachys aureosulcata is much bigger and stronger.

I'd use wood. It'll be years before it rots. But it will, thank goodness. Plastic won't, ever. For perennials I use twiggy pruning if any support is needed. For tomatoes etc. I use bamboo or hazel. For trees, poles from tree pruning.

in my 3 month frozen ground.. wood rots faster .... i presume its the freeze thaw cycles ... working on porous wood ....

i could make them last much longer.. if i stored them dry for winter ...

so location matters ... as usual ...

ken

What happened to the vampires comment? Littlebug, Maine is full of all kinds of things. Gardening has resulted in an increase of vampires as it uses up available stakes. I am just grateful my silver bullets aren't needed in the garden, so right now we're pretty good on werewolves. (Fisher cats, though, seem to run rampant based on the number of pets that disappear. They are sort of like a rabid werewolf-vampire combination.)

Any recommendations on where to purchase stakes at the cheapest price? I'm getting them for winter protection, so they will be wrapped with burlap. I will try to take advantage of local deadfall around here. Not sure where to get bamboo.

Bamboo stakes of various lengths should be available at any large garden centre or home improvement store. I use them often since they are inexpensive and unobtrusive in the garden.

I have used rebar uncoated & coated but I have had the plastic coated rebar break off at ground level after a few years - that was a bit of a surprise. Rebar is useful for heavy tall plants but more expensive.

So many people have bamboo now and they all have to thin it so try to find someone happy to share. One friend with a small patch has kept me supplied with all the long and short bamboo I can use for perennials, bulbs,and vegetables supports and trellises. Also fencing and tree supports. Make your desires.known to any garden circles and perhaps post on Craigslist or local forums. Good luck.

Littlebug and I think alike although my first thought was vampires! You need a silver bullet for a werewolf! haha

Home Depot sells bamboo stakes. I used them for a few years for my veggies. I also have some of the tall coated ones that work well but as said previously they have broke at the soil line frequently. Amazon has different sizes and thickness of the bamboo. Good luck finding something you will find easy to work for you.

i once got a very tall .. stout bamboo rod .. over an inch ... 8 to 10 feet ... i never measured iot .... from a carpet store... oriental rugs came wrapped on them ...on them or some such ...

of course.. it cost me 2 rooms of carpeting ... lol ...

ken

Am Leonard sells bamboo at a reasonable price, but you have to buy a bunch and then there's shipping on top, but you should be set for a few years.

They're not the prettiest but I usually get an 8' length of furring strip lumber and just cut them in half to 4 feet. They're about a $1 for two then and are sturdy enough for tomatoes or dahlias. After a few seasons the end rots off so they're used for shorter things, after that I toss them into the hedge to rot away.