Stake Wires Will Strangle a Tree If Left Too Long

Q. I have a tree that was staked and now the wires used in staking it are starting to strangle the tree trunk.

Staking trees are for a number of reasons. Make sure the stakes are removed after one year, two at the most.

A. That's a common problem on large, staked trees planted in home landscapes. It's a gamble on the wind whether to stake or not to stake. I encourage people to stake nearly all plants. It's cheap insurance. On smaller 5-gallon plants (sometimes even 15-gallon shrubs) the small, square, green nursery stake found in the container may be adequate if cut loose from the plant, driven or pushed into the moist, solid ground beneath the plant. Retie the plant when you’re finished. Always have some half-inch, stretchable green nursery tape on hand. It's very useful.

If trees are smaller when planting there is no reason to use big stakes. The purpose of staking is primarily to keep the roots from moving until the tree gets established and its roots can keep it from blowing over in the wind.

The purpose of staking any plant is to keep new roots from being damaged during establishment. The movement of roots usually happens during strong winds. Planting in wet planting holes and amending the backfilled desert soil may get around the use of stakes with smaller plants. Use your judgement.

Typically staking is only needed for one growing season and then removed. One growing season is all that is needed to establish plant roots in the surrounding soil and make the plant secure against wind.

Some homeowners may think the reason for staking is to hold the tree upright. That's only partially true. On occasion more than one growing season of staking may be needed when planting trees grown too close to each other in wholesale or production nurseries. In cases like these, metal ties are loosened and then retightened at the end of each growing season to prevent “choking the trunk” as seen in your picture. Remember, plants grow in two dimensions; length AND girth. Sometimes excessively tall and weak plants must be pruned smaller to encourage new, stronger growth.

Staking is sometimes needed particularly to protect the plant from blowing over and stabilizing the roots.

The proper way to stake a tree is to allow the canopy and trunk of the tree to move but not its roots. Movement of a tree’s trunk allows it to gain taper (become stronger) as it grows in size. Trunk taper may or may not be missing because of production nursery practices. Properly grown trees have a tapered trunk as you look at it from top to bottom.