This past year, I tried using the long, slender leaves of Siberian irises as an alternate means of tying my tomato plants to their stakes. The iris leaves were remarkably strong, and they turned an unobtrusive brown color as they aged. Two wraps around each stem and stake plus an overhand knot held the plants securely in place. At the end of the season, a sharp tug broke the leaves away from the stakes, and the leaves went to the compost pile. The irises seemed none the worse for losing a few leaves.
