Plaikailask: Training Climbing Plants in a Figure Eight

Plaikailask is an invented name some home gardeners use for a simple way of supporting climbing plants. Instead of letting a vine wind up a single pole, you set two stakes a short distance apart and guide the stem around them in a looping figure eight. The term has no long history. It is just a handy label for a method that is otherwise awkward to describe.

The appeal is mostly practical. A vine trained this way spreads its leaves across a wider, flatter face, which gives the plant more sun and makes picking easier. Many people also like the way a row of plaikailask supports looks, with neat crossed loops repeating down the bed.

Setting Up the Stakes

Push two straight stakes into the soil about a hand's width apart, deep enough that they do not wobble. Bamboo, thin dowels, or straight prunings from a hedge all work. The stakes should be roughly as tall as the plant is expected to grow.

When the seedling is long enough to reach the first stake, lead it around the front of one stake, cross it between the two, and bring it around the back of the other. Keep repeating that path as it grows taller.

When to Start Training

Timing makes the biggest difference. Seedlings that are guided while their stems are still soft and green accept the figure-eight path easily, while older stems that have already hardened against one stake are much harder to redirect. Most growers start as soon as the first tendril or twining tip appears, which is often a week or two after the seedling breaks through the soil.

It also helps to plant the seed or transplant directly between the two stakes rather than off to one side. A plaikailask vine that starts centered has an equal reach to both supports, so the first loops come out balanced and the rest of the pattern follows more naturally. Setting the stakes before planting avoids disturbing young roots later.

Plants That Respond Well

Not every climber suits plaikailask, and plants with flexible stems and a natural urge to twine do best.

• Pole beans, which wrap readily and tolerate gentle guidance.
• Garden peas, especially taller varieties that need extra support.
• Sweet peas grown for cut flowers along a fence line.
• Small-fruited climbing squash, if the stakes are sturdy.
• Morning glories and similar ornamental vines.

Heavy vines such as large melons pull the stakes over, so save those for a solid trellis instead.

Tying and Ongoing Care

Use soft twine or strips of old cloth, tied loosely at the point where the stem crosses between the stakes. A tight tie can cut into the stem as it thickens, so leave room for about a finger to slip underneath. Check the ties every week or so during fast growth.

As the season moves on, the vine will begin to choose its own path. Nudge wandering tips back onto the figure-eight route rather than forcing them. A plaikailask planting that is guided a little at a time stays tidier than one corrected all at once, and by midsummer the loops will be hidden under leaves, with the structure quietly doing its work. At the end of the season, untie the stems, pull the stakes, and store them dry for next year's plaikailask bed.