- 1). Place two U-stakes to either side of the point on the ground that you want to bend your plant toward. Push the U-stakes halfway in to start.
- 2). Loop a piece of yarn around the target plant opposite your U-stakes, about 1/3 of the way from the top of the plant. Thread one end of the yarn through each U-stake, forming a catapult arrangement.
- 3). Push the U-stake most of the way into the ground, leaving only a little space to allow the yarn to move easily through the loop of the U-stake.
- 4). Pull both ends of yarn slowly, applying pressure to the plant stem and bending it toward the ground. Watch the stem closely for signs of stress, especially watching that the yarn doesn't cut into the stem, and that the stem doesn't look as if it will snap. If the plant looks stressed, stop pulling. Otherwise, pull the plant stem down to the ground.
- 5). After pulling the plant as far as you dare, press the U-stakes all the way into the ground, so it holds the yarn taut. Form a loop with the loose end of the yarn and the taut piece of yarn. Tie off both yarn ends so they don't slip out of the U-stakes.
- 6). Use a pair of garden shears to cut the tops off your plants. Leave two sets of leaves at least, and sometimes more, depending on the health of the plant. You can top robust plants more heavily -- down to two sets of leaves; top thin plants sparingly to allow them to recover from the topping.
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