Tree Planting Stake Height

[Darrin Turnbull]

Is it better to have them lower down.?

[carlos]

i think the theory is that lower is better but i would tend to go a bit higher if on a windy site.

[Darrin Turnbull]

Here in Germany ( Berlin ) its usually head height.

[Gary Prentice]

As low as possible. The purpose of the support is to stabilise the roots. Stem thickens because of movement, so the less movement is restricted the better.

[Stubby]

As low as possible. The purpose of the support is to stabilise the roots. Stem thickens because of movement, so the less movement is restricted the better.

 

This is my take on it as well .

[arbmark]

Somewhere between the two above imo. Too low and the root rock is too great and too high the stem doesn't learn strength. Depends a bit on the elasticity of the material used for the slings and whether you use 2 or 3 stakes. A bit of judgement is always required.

[richy_B]

I was talking to someone about this last week. Something that escaped me was the right terminology for the stem being allowed room to sway - I am sure I knew of a technical term for it but can't remember! I may have imagined it.

 

One of my pet hates is a wooden cross bar with the stem rigidly strapped. In some high traffic settings I suppose its necessary but trees really benefit from some stem movement.

[Ferguson system]

I would say the correct placement of the stakes in the first picture would have been right under the first branch. Like others have mentioned, low is better, but chest height is often sufficient or right under the first branch (depending on the size of the tree).

 

The material used for guying should have a width of atleast 1,6" or 4 cm. Guying should be tensioned to the point where you can place a finger between the trunk and guying material. The stakes should have a top diameter of 2-3" or 5-7cm. Stakes should be removed after 2-3 years.

[Gary Prentice]

I noticed a load of recent highway planting yesterday, where >40% of the ties had broke. Consequently, stems were rubbing against the stakes or wire mesh guards.

 

From what I could see, the ties were a good deal less than 4cm in width!

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Highway embankment planting generally seems something of a strange or poorly considered concept to me.

 

Probably conditioned in at planning and an integral part of the environmental mitigation of, say, a new by pass, along with bat bridges, otter fences, newt slides and deer tunnels.

 

Then, at the end, it all gets seeded and planted.

 

10 years later the lot gets flailed!

 

Surely there's a better way??