Question about tree stakes after a windy season shifted my view

Leaving stakes on too long weakens the trunk, I learned the hard way.

3 comments

3 Comments

Oh man, you are so right about that. It is a lesson a lot of people learn too late. The tree needs to be able to sway a bit in the wind so it can grow a strong, thick trunk to support itself. If those stakes stay on for years, the trunk stays weak and skinny. You really only need them for the first year or so at most. Just make sure the ties are not too tight and cutting into the bark.

kaid451mo ago

Ever notice how some young trees in new areas never lose their stakes? @the_jana, your point about the trunk staying weak really hits home. I saw a maple tree near my old place that had been staked for years, and when they finally took the stakes off, it just fell over in the first big storm. It was pretty sad, like all that help actually made it so it couldn't stand on its own. Makes you think about how we might be over helping things in other parts of life too.

zarakim1mo ago

My neighbor's kid had training wheels until fifth grade. Now he wobbles on two wheels, just like @the_jana said about trees needing to sway.