How to Stake a Small Tree
Keeping a tree straight promotes healthy growth and makes the tree look nicer. When trees are small, their trunks are weak and their roots are not well established, so they can easily become crooked due to wind, heavy rains or other trauma. Staking a young tree helps keep it stranding straight up in the face of such events. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 3 (10-foot) lengths flexible metal wire
- 3 (12-inch) lengths of rubber tubing
- 3 stakes
- Mallet
Instructions
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Use the mallet to plant the three stakes in the ground 6 to 8 feet away, on the side of the tree that it should be pulled toward to straighten it. Plant the stakes so that they bend slightly away from the tree.
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Insert the the lengths of wire into the rubber tubing.
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3
Place the rubber tubing on a sturdy part of the tree like the turn or a main branch and bend the tubing around that part. With the end of the wire that you inserted through the tube, wrap it around the wire coming from the other end of the tube, so that the wire is fastened to the tree. The only thing in contact with the tree should be the rubber tubing. Repeat this step for all three pieces of wire and tubing.
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4
Take each wire and pull it taut to one of the stakes. For each wire, pull hard enough so that the trunk of the tree straightens to the desired position, then wrap the wire around the stake, keeping the tension constant. After you have fastened each wire to a stake, walk around the tree to see whether it seems straight from all angles. If the tree is still crooked, loosen or tighten the wires as needed to make it stand straight.
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Tips & Warnings
You may have to loosen or tighten the wires several times to make the tree's trunk assume the desired position.
If the wire itself comes in contact with the tree, the trunk can be damaged.
