Plant ties are any soft fastener used to hold a stem in a new position: rubber- or foam-coated garden wire, plastic-coated twist ties, soft cord or purpose-made plant clips. They anchor branches to the pot rim, stakes or a net during LST and keep heavy colas upright in late flower.
In practice
Choose something that grips without cutting. Thin bare wire, fishing line and string can girdle a stem as it thickens, cutting off sap flow; check ties weekly and loosen or move them. Anchor points are often holes punched in the pot rim, or hooks clipped onto it. In fabric pots, ties can be tied through the fabric itself.
When bending, tie at a node or just below one, and move the tie further out along the stem as the branch grows. Re-adjust every day or two in fast veg.
Don't confuse with
- Trellis: the net or frame plants are tied to; ties are the fasteners.
- Stakes: vertical supports, used with ties for tall or heavy plants.
