To Stake or Not to Stake

Most trees don’t need staking. So how do you know when to stake and how to do it right?

With apologies to Shakespeare and Hamlet , to stake or not to stake is the interrogation . When it number to stake tree diagram , too many gardeners choose the former choice . It is true that there are office when ayoung treeis thankful for some mechanical aid , but not as often as many gardener ideate . what is more , even when punt is good to a newlyplanted tree diagram , it normally remains so for only a poor period of clip .

punt a tree that does not want it can do more hurt than good . Movement of the trunk aid strengthen it by thickening it and giving it taper from bottom to top . proboscis movement also induce root emergence . So although staked trees might grow taller quicker than their unstaked counterpart , their luggage compartment are weaker and their base systems are less developed .

When done incorrectly , gage further compound a young tree ’s problems . If a tree diagram is tied to a interest too tightly , girdling can come , weakening and even possibly toss off the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree unless the problem is addressed in time . Movement of a tree diagram above where it is tied too tightly to a stakes , like movement of an unstaked bole , result in a boneheaded torso above the tie . This difference of opinion in thickness upsets still locomotion of water and nutrients up and down the modernise trunk . Too rigorous a affiliation couple with too inflexible a stake can anchor a plant life so firmly below the railroad tie that a strong wind can in reality blow off the top of the tree . Tying a tree diagram too broadly speaking to a wager also causes problem . The bark is endlessly rubbed , leave in wounds that may never heal properly .

Should you hazard this Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ? The root ball is small in symmetry to the height of the tree and wo n’t be capable to offer passable support . The generator sharpen to the peak the tree diagram should be for a root clump of this size . So , yes , you shouldstakethis one .

Crowbar Hole

The top of a trunk postulate to move , but if the bottom moves too much , it can form a “ crowbar fix , ” where water and moisture can collect and possibly cause putrefaction . A stake can forestall this drive .

Stakes allow a root ball to become a root system

A bicycle tyre inner tube is tied to the tree in a figure - eight loop . It provides firm but flexible support .

Sometimes , however , a tree does profit from stake . A vernal tree with a dull crown of farewell combined with a disproportionately small root clump is almost sure to require a stake . By staking a tree like this , its root clump will be held motionless in the soil . This impermanent , artificial constancy allows the rootage to arise into the surrounding land , thereby anchoring the tree diagram and giving it a more permanent , natural stability .

blind drunk breaking wind course through a obtuse crown of leave can also spell out difficulty antecedent ball to rock back and forward or else of remaining stationary , the winds keep developing source from engage hold . This excessive cause could pass to a “ crowbar hole , ” a gap that develops around the basis of a tree where water collects , potentially causing root hogwash . To determine if a newly engraft Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s roots are moving , I snap up the trunk and move it back and forward , see for careen soil at the base of operations of the tree . If I see movement , I have sex there ’s a job that staking can address . A stake will aid to hold the bole in place long enough for it to develop sufficient heaviness and wax light to frustrate such movement . In the week and calendar month following the planting of any tree , I ofttimes inspect the ground where the trunk emerges to see if a crowbar hole is educate .

hazard a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can also offer protection . A lawn lawn mower can be keep from continually screw a proboscis and abrading its barque by some strategically placed bet . Of course , if you have circled your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with wood chips or any other type of mulch , you wo n’t need to cut down near the tree . If you have planted a tree sensitive to soil compaction — sugar maple or bloodless oak tree , for good example — a hoop of mulch or stakes signals “ do n’t tread here . ” For protection , a bole needs at least three stakes circle it .

A well-staked tree should be able to move in place

Photo / Illustration : Erika stain

documentation for any young Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree should permit the top of the tree diagram move freely and allow for for some movement of the trunk , all without causing abrasion where the tie makes contact . A tie range too gamey ( more than two - third of the way up the tree trunk ) will not allow sufficient move of the top of the tree . To let the lower part of the trunk move adequately , use only one tie per interest .

An elastic material , such as the interior vacuum tube of a bicycle tire , is best for a tie-up because it allows movement at and below the degree of attachment , while keeping a firm enough grip on the proboscis to avoid abrasion . Other acceptable ligature material admit pliable webbing and nylon stockings . To keep the proboscis from rubbing against the wager , it is best to marry any of these fabric in a figure eight loop between the trunk and the stake . The vernacular praxis of using conducting wire padded with a distance of garden hose is less satisfactory for tying because it can not grip the trunk securely without eventually deaden it .

Good materials for the stakes themselves are lengths of metal rebar , wooden office , and metallic element organ pipe . I ’ve also staked small trees with fiberglass post sell for function with electric fence , which have the added reward of being flexible themselves . Stakes should be substantial enough to provide whatever support is necessitate but should never be so orotund or be place in such a way that a tree ’s trunk is too shaded . Otherwise the luggage compartment will naturally deform by from the stake .

A single stake may suffice for a lowly Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree whose trunk is less than a couple of inches in diameter . For a large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , up to 4 in in diameter , apply two or three stakes , tie each one separately to the automobile trunk .

Stakes should be temporary, the more so the better

Even when staking is necessary , the preferably the wager are removed , the sooner the plant can explicate a strong torso and source system . With most small trees , I remove stake after one twelvemonth ; larger trees might ask stakes left in position for two years . you may test to see if a stake can be take away by moving the trunk of the tree and watching for movement of the root formal . No campaign imply you no longer ask the interest . There are exceptions : Certain nanus apple tree , for lesson , require staking throughout their spirit . Still , for most tree , a major hazard of adventure is bury about it , letting ties perhaps girdle a trunk , or just leave the bet in property so long that development of a sturdy trunk is delayed .

Fine Gardening recommend Products

Gardener ’s Log Book from NYBG

Scotts Outdoor Power Tools Cordless Grass Shear / Shrub Trimmer Combo

Fiskars Garden Tool Caddy with Removable Small Tool Storage for Indoor and Outdoor Gardening Use , Made with Recycled Plastic

Get our late tips , how - to articles , and instructional picture send to your inbox .

sign you up …

How to Stake and Train a Conifer

Pruning and Staking a Weeping Redbud

Planting Bareroot Trees

Learn How to Stake Your Tomatoes

Join Fine horticulture for a free hire live webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned works diagnostician as well as prof emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical handler …

When I spot a particular guts dollar mark cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few month ago , I know I was in trouble . With a delicious color formula …

When we only prioritise plant life we want over plants our landscape motivation , each season is filled with a never - ending inclination of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be careful when you introduce the backyard of garden intriguer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re potential to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a pair …