How to Properly Stake Newly Planted Trees
When planting young trees in your yard, it is important to properly stake the newly planted trees for support and protection from the elements. In most situations, tree stakes are essential to hold the newly planted trees upright until adequate root growth has occurred. This is particularly true when the root ball of the tree is small, and especially if the tree is planted in a wide, open space or a windy environment, and when planting trees in sandy soil conditions.
As a minimum, two safety stakes and two guy wires should be used to support the young tree. In windy environments, such as a coastal town, the wires and stakes should be installed on the windward side of the tree to provide maximum support. Place the stakes and wires approximately 90 degrees apart to keep the tree upright in strong winds.
In severe weather climates, it may be a good idea to install four sets of safety stakes and guy wires. When using four tree supports, space them evenly around the perimeter of the tree, approximately 90 degrees apart. In this scenario, it is critical that the guy wires are not too tight. Leave a tiny bit of slack in the wire or rope so that the tree can sway freely in the wind just a few inches. This natural movement of the tree caused by the wind encourages the tree and its root ball to develop properly. Leaving a little slack in the safety wires also allows for growth.
Safely Support Newly Planted Trees
Never use bare wire to secure the tree. This is not only hazardous to the tree, as it can cut into the bark and harm the tree itself; it also creates a dangerous situation for children, pets, and wildlife. Guy wires should always be covered with a safety shroud. Proper Safety Covers are included in the Stake-SAFE kit along with Stake-SAFE Caps which safely cover dangerous T-Posts.
Guy wires should fit loosely around the tree trunk to avoid damage to the bark and in effect, choking the tree. It is common to wrap the tree support rope in a figure eight pattern to spread the load and reduce the chaffing effect on the bark.
An added benefit of using tree stakes to support your newly planted trees, is the protection offered against contact from lawnmowers and other landscape tools. Contact from a lawnmower will often lead to damage of the tree bark. This can often be fatal to the health of the tree.
As your tree grows in height be sure to loosen the guy wires accordingly. The same is true of the loop surrounding the tree trunk itself. If the guy wires are left in place too long, and have become too tight, they can become embedded permanently in the tree bark. For the majority of tree species, the tree stakes and support wires should be completely removed after one full growing season.
Contact Us:
If you have newly planted trees in your yard and have questions about the proper use of the Stake-SAFE tree stakes drop us a line. Contact the Stake-SAFE Customer Support Team Our Stake-SAFE kit is the safest solution on the market.
