How to Stake a Leaning Tree

Your leaning tree can fall, causing catastrophic and life-threatening damages. By staking your tree, you can help it re-establish itself, prevent its death, and eliminate the danger of it falling.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered information on why trees lean, how to properly stake them, and when tree removal may be necessary.

Why Trees Lean

Before taking action to stake or brace a tree, it’s helpful to understand the reasons why trees may lean in different stages of their growth.

The following require staking, bracing, or cabling and can be halted or reversed:

• The tree was planted off-center.
• The tree may be leaning towards the sun.
• The root ball has shifted in unsteady soil.
• Constant wind has shaped the tree to curve or has moved its center of gravity.
• The tree was struck by a vehicle or heavy machinery.
• Neighboring support trees were removed.
• The crown is off-center from poor pruning practices.

The following are irreversible and may require the immediate removal of the tree:

• An earthquake, floodwater, rockslide, or landslide has caused the root plate to destabilize and fail.
• Roots are failing due to rot from disease or poorly-drained soil.
• The tree trunk cracked.

As trees reach maturity, they can weigh from 2,000 to 20,000 pounds. When that weight becomes off-centered, and the tree begins to lean, quick action is required to prevent a fall with potentially deadly results.

Read How to Identify a Tree Emergency, and if you have a mature tree threatening to fall, call a tree professional to evaluate the immediate risk and lay out a course of action.

Tree Support Systems to Prevent or Stop Their Leaning

Support systems for young and leaning trees change as trees mature. The following are different systems used at various stages of tree development:

Planted as a Seedling – For the first 6 months to one year, the tree should be protected from the elements and wildlife by a chickenwire encircling enclosure, lined with burlap on the upwind side.

Transplanted Trees – Bare root and rootball transplants are highly susceptible to the elements until their root system extends and forms a firm root plate. These trees should be staked for 1 to 2 years while this process takes place.

Young trees planted as seedlings should be staked once they outgrow their protective enclosures to prevent leaning or severe weather damage.

To accomplish this:

1. Drive two 8 foot stakes 2 feet into the ground on either side of the tree trunk (about 1 1/2 feet from the trunk on each side).
2. Tie or attach a piece of burlap or other soft material – looped around the trunk – to each of the stakes. There should be enough slack for the tree to sway 3 to 6 inches in all directions before the material tightens around the trunk.
3. If wildlife is an issue, surround the tree with chicken wire using the stakes as a harness.
4. While a tree is staked, check the bark where any contact is made frequently. If damage or wear is detected, move the material up or down on the stakes.

Never tie or attach anything to trees being staked. Besides bark damage, the tree could end up girdled or sawed through if there is constant friction.

This staking method is highly effective until the trunk reaches a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 4.5 to 6 inches, at which point stronger measures are required.

Trees with a DBH >6 inches – When trees reach this size, they are heavy enough to cause severe to catastrophic damage if brought down during a storm or fall from their own weight. If they begin to lean, take the following actions immediately:

• Prune the tree to reset its balance or center of gravity.
• Cabling the tree can relieve pressure from branches, causing a redistribution of weight and stress within the crown.
• Anchor the tree to stop or reverse the lean by:

1. Driving a 5-foot heavy-duty iron stake into the ground 8 to 10 feet opposite the direction of the lean (this stake will be supporting tremendous weight).
2. Attach a cable rated for 1,400 to 1,960 pounds to the stake equipped with a turnbuckle or winching device, and loop the other end around the tree trunk above the first branches.
3. Use foam or rubber as a cushion to prevent the cable from directly contacting the tree’s bark.
4. Tighten the turnbuckle until the cable is firm. Then further tighten the cable every other day.
5. This process can last weeks and be successful provided there are no underlying issues with root rot or disease.
6. Call a professional to evaluate the state of the tree and offer guidance.

In all of the above situations, a tree professional should be called to evaluate the tree, determine why it is leaning, and what actions to take.

Staking Leaning Trees

Trees lean for different reasons, but there are various support systems to be used at different stages of the development of a tree.

In this article, you discovered why trees lean, how to stake or secure them properly, and when tree removal becomes necessary.

When your tree begins to lean, it is telling you something is wrong. Don’t procrastinate and allow a leaning tree to fall on your home or loved ones.

Sources:
gatrees.org/community-forests/ask-the-arborist/LeaningTrees-Whatsupwiththat.pdf
hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/cabling.shtml

Todd’s Marietta Tree Services

200 Cobb Pkwy N Ste 428 Marietta, GA 30062
(678) 505-0266

Originally published on: http://www.toddsmariettatreeservices.com/how-to-stake-leaning-tree/

3 Tree Threat Prevention Tips

There are factors to which trees, both young and old, are vulnerable to. These factors range from environmental, animal, and even landscape and lawn care equipment. From contractors that are capable of damaging roots with their heavy machinery, to strong winds which blow off young trees, the list is almost endless.

To help prevent damage, Todd’s gathered a short list of potential threats. These tips would be useful in protecting your trees from being injured or damaged.

Guarding Trees from Wind Damage

Use support stakes – Durable metal or wood will act as your anchor and frame. You need to tie the tree to the frames using a soft fabric. Consider the amount of tension, as you should give a little room for the young tree to sway in the direction of the wind, but not much space that could allow the tree to break. The swaying will help in developing a good root system for the tree.

Use a protective covering for your trees – These covers will protect the tree from the invasion of pests, wind damage, and other factors. This protective covering should only be used only in the case of a serious wind looming. Otherwise, under normal weather conditions, you want the tree to absorb as much sunlight as it can. If you need to use a covering, place the cover from the top of the tree and use a tape to hold it in place at the trunk.

Protection from Deer Attacks

The young and tender bark of new trees appeal to deer. They feed off the lower limbs and are drawn to the rich taste. Deer also paw the soil around the tree and thus can damage the tree’s newly forming root system. However, worse of all, the males forcibly attack and damage the tree by rubbing their antlers against the bark.

Protective barrier – A barrier like a fence should be built around the tree at a height of about 8-10 feet to prevent the animal from attacking the tree. The cages or fences must be adjustable to expansion as the tree grows, so as to give space for more growth and still prevent the tree from being attacked. Use chicken wire as the material for the construction.

Sprays will ward off deer – You can prevent deer attacks by using sprays that irritate their sense of smell. They are irritated by soap bars and hair, which you can put on ropes and hang on the limbs of the tree. You can create a homemade repellent, comprised of 94% water and 6% hot sauce. This solution upset their sense of taste and thwart further damage to your trees.

When possible, combine the two, as using the barrier and spray in conjunction produces a better result than either of the solutions being used separately.

Preventing Machinery Damage

Before any construction or lawn care maintenance is carried out, you should communicate the importance of preserving the integrity of your landscape and all plants. Some service providers are focused on cutting your yard and being done as quickly as possible. This can present an issue, given they are not careful around your trees and shrubs.

Consult with the contractor on the best measures to prevent your tree from being damaged. These situations should be considered before any work is done;

Heavy machinery – this can destroy your root system. With the equipment passing over the soil and roots, its weight can crush or compact the soil, resulting in less room for the roots to spread.

Heavy machinery operator – they may damage the root by injuring the bark of the tree, which may lead to decay of the tree. If this happens, look out for these warning signs toddsmariettatreeservices.com/troubled-tree-signs-symptoms/

Barriers or Fencing – a barrier should be erected around the tree covering even the outreaching branch, and preventing vehicular damage to the tree.

Damage Prevention for a Thriving Landscape

Whether it be wind, deer, or heavy machinery, your trees – young and mature – are at risk. Taking these minimal steps to protect them is an incredible investment in the future and beauty of your landscape.

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Todd’s Marietta Tree Services

200 Cobb Pkwy N Ste 428 Marietta, GA 30062
(678) 505-0266

Originally published on: http://www.toddsmariettatreeservices.com/3-tree-threat-prevention-tips/