Wire Mesh – Best Alternate to Train Your Plants

Many gardeners struggle with keeping their plants under control. However, the use of wire mesh is one option for tutoring tomatoes and other plants, and keeping them under control for a better harvest. One reason this material is often used in gardening, is because it is durable enough to last at least the full season, but also for additional seasons in many conditions. In addition, the cost for this mesh is fairly inexpensive compared to a number of other potential solutions. This makes it ideal for use in a number of different gardening settings, including the small hobby gardener as well as the larger farm alike. There are also a number of different plants that can be grown that would benefit from the use of mesh. These plants can be grown by both hobby gardeners as well as professional farmers. Mesh can often be used as a more cost effective approach for most plants that need support or a trellis to see the highest yields possible. Some of these plants may include cucumbers, green beans and peas, squash, as well as a variety of peppers. In general, any plant that could benefit from being held up off of the ground, or that is a vine type of a plant, requiring additional support, would benefit from the use of a less expensive mesh material instead of more costly methods. 

How Does Mesh Train Plants

There are a number of traditional methods for training plants. Some of these included driving stakes into the ground, and then stringing wire between stakes to support growth along the rows between the stakes. Other options included the use of metal cages, like in training tomatoes to grow. These are driven around the plant while it is smaller, making it possible to support the plant and train it as it grows. The drawback of many of these approaches is the time it takes to use the method, the cost of materials, and the potential damage that may occur to the plant from hot metal or from twine being tied to the plant as it is being trained. Mesh, and more specifically plastic mesh, requires significantly less stakes to be driven into the ground, is inexpensive, removes the potential for metal scorching the plants, and reduces the amount of twine needed to tie the plants. For instance, the mesh is placed early on in the growing process. As the plant begins to sprout, it can be gently encouraged to gain support from the mesh. The tendrils of the plant can be placed on the mesh itself, and when done early enough in the process, the plant is still young enough it will go willingly between the grid of the mesh to help it grow up and off of the ground. 

Is Metal Mesh Ideal?

Because it is readily available, easily cut to the size and shape that a person needs for a specific plant or row of plants, wire mesh is commonly used in gardening and farming. However, there are some concerns over using this type of a material in some situations. For instance, in areas where the temperature is extremely hot, and the metal becomes increasingly hot in the sun, there is a concern that the heat on the plant may harm it more so than other materials might. Another concern is that when using anything metal outdoors, it has the potential to be exposed to rainwater, which leads to rust. The rust which forms on the wire mesh can harm the plant and affect its ability to grow properly. If the plant grows in stressful conditions, it can then affect the harvest that it yields, making it important to choose a material that will withstand the elements of growing outdoors. Since metal has the potential to harm plants, many gardeners will opt for a product that does not harm the plants in the same way wire mesh might. Instead, a product that is made of plastic may be a better option for the training of plants to grow in a specific direction. This type of a product may make the garden rows appear to resemble a sea-of-green net but as the plants continue to grow and flourish, they will quickly turn into rows of vibrant plants, which will be ripe for harvest in no time.  

How to Buy Mesh?

There are a number of places which a gardener or farmer can obtain plastic mesh for use when growing plants that need to be trained. However, many of these locations are big box stores, home improvement stores, and possibly even garden stores. These are all viable options, but usually can only be purchased in smaller sizes, are at a significant markup, and can become costly. Instead, if more than a small amount is needed for planting, it is better to obtain it directly from a company that specializes in mesh materials. When talking with a company that specializes in the use of plastic mesh, they are able to help you determine the amount of mesh needed. They are also able to discuss the different type of plants the mesh may be used for, and help to make a decision as to which mesh would be the best solution for what plant is being grown. This also includes being able to recommend mesh that works well for multiple types of plants, reducing the need for spending excess money on product that is not necessary. 

Wire Mesh Alternatives are Best for Training Your Plants

To help prevent a number of frustrations with plants becoming overgrown and suffocating the surrounding plants, wire mesh could be helpful to greater success. It is an inexpensive solution to help improve the way plants grow, keeping them off of the ground, improving circulation, and increasing the amount of harvest. But an even better option might be to use plastic netting or mesh. This type of mesh is less harmful to the plants, withstands the elements, and is also inexpensive when compared to other solutions. So the next time you see a sea-of-green net in a field of plants, know that this simple tool is serving a significant purpose in the overall success of the final harvest, and is much safer than the use of wire netting.