Tree Planting Stake Height

[DanVC]

I normally tie in about a third of the height to the first branch, the important thing is to ensure enough sway, suitable distance of stem from stake to ensure no contact and make sure your stakes are deep enough in the soil. Seems to work fine and stakes are removed after two seasons.

[Gary Prentice]

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??

 

 

Ten years! They're good down your way.

 

I planted 300 whips one year while employed by a local authority at one site. The first grass cut of the season took the lot out:thumbdown:

 

Earlier this week I played I-Spy on one stretch of road where the mowing crew were. 12 out of probably 20 trees had been struck by the mower - these trees were twenty five feet tall, so really difficult to spot in the long grass verge.

 

 

But, I digress....

[Stubby]

I Planted some Oaks I had grown from seed in pots . They were about knee high when I put them in . ( they were for my own pleasure and not a paying job ) They lasted a 3 weeks and succumbed to a tractor and flail . Razzed off to the ground .

[Chris at eden]

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.

 

What he said but underground guying is even better.

[Chris at eden]

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.

 

Allowing the stem to move encourages the development of a healthy stem taper through the production of localised reaction wood. Something along those lines maybe?

 

Some folk refer to it as secondary thickening but its a bit more than that really although a similar mechanism.

[Gary Prentice]

What he said but underground guying is even better.

 

I'm not sure where I got it from, but can there be an issue with underground guying where the stem movement causes a funnel shape within the rootball?

 

Might just be dreaming on that:blushing:

[Wainy]

Feeling apprehensive about posting this picture but we've staked a few trees over the years and now started doing it as in the picture. The stakes were taken out this year as well established now. Think the trees were about 14/16ft when planted. Stakes were about 2ft in the ground, heavy duty webbing and blocks. A very windy site and not one moved or rubbed so happy with it and looked tidy on approach to a new house. And no I can't rotate the picture either!

[carlos]

Feeling apprehensive about posting this picture but we've staked a few trees over the years and now started doing it as in the picture. The stakes were taken out this year as well established now. Think the trees were about 14/16ft when planted. Stakes were about 2ft in the ground, heavy duty webbing and blocks. A very windy site and not one moved or rubbed so happy with it and looked tidy on approach to a new house. And no I can't rotate the picture either!

 

tidy job

[Treeation]

Feeling apprehensive about posting this picture but we've staked a few trees over the years and now started doing it as in the picture. The stakes were taken out this year as well established now. Think the trees were about 14/16ft when planted. Stakes were about 2ft in the ground, heavy duty webbing and blocks. A very windy site and not one moved or rubbed so happy with it and looked tidy on approach to a new house. And no I can't rotate the picture either!

 

Spot on!

[Stubby]

Feeling apprehensive about posting this picture but we've staked a few trees over the years and now started doing it as in the picture. The stakes were taken out this year as well established now. Think the trees were about 14/16ft when planted. Stakes were about 2ft in the ground, heavy duty webbing and blocks. A very windy site and not one moved or rubbed so happy with it and looked tidy on approach to a new house. And no I can't rotate the picture either!

 

That's the way for me .