Tree Planting Stake Height

[Goaty]

And me, wainys way is logical biological best.

I've noted on stop overs in Seoul and Hong Kong that they spend a fortune(maybe cheap over there!) on the high rugby goal design supports and I've seen a few establishing or even established trees looking weak or leaning. They maybe more to it such as soil, climate, possibly poorly cultivated stock. I don't know the full details.

High tied stakes are also more likely to break due to the higher leverage.

Our local council uses 60-70mm diameter stakes with rugby design. Some get trashed by kids, whereas the low ones as pictured are less appealing to vandals.

 

 

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[agg221]

I tend to be planting in areas where there are issues with rabbits and deer and use the plastic tube tree guards.

 

On small stuff (up to 6') I tend to stake the guard with a single upright stake and then let the tree move within the guard. If there is no guard then I stake the tree with a single upright stake, banged in to the planting pit before planting and sticking up around 3'. It's pretty rare for me to plant larger stuff but where I have it is staked as per Wainy's method. I tend to use hazel stakes which rot off in about 2-3yrs anyway and get taken off. I generally use old bike inner tube as a tie and put a couple of half-hitches between the stake and the tree.

 

One thing I am careful to do is figure out the prevailing wind direction and make sure the wind will pull the tree away from the stake rather than push it on to it, to reduce the likelihood of rubbing.

 

Alec

[gooseflight]

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 my preference. Ticks all the boxes and minimal visual impact too