- As for shrubs but additional support is required for the first two to three years until the root system has established far enough to sufficiently anchor the tree.
- For rootballed and container-grown trees, most purchased from us will require double staking – see below diagram.
- Please note the depth to which the stakes need to be driven; they need to be far enough in so that they don’t move and will hold the tree securely. The stakes we supply are 165cm (5ft6”) long and need to be driven approximately 75cm (2ft6”) into the ground so that only about 90cm (3ft) or less is left above ground. To do this will require the use of a two-handed post driver, a large fencing mallet, or good-sized sledge hammer, it may help to use a metal post or spike to make a guide hole, and it may be a two-person job. Please take the time to ensure that the stakes are straight, that the cross-rail is level (use a spirit level if you have to), and that any excess wood is sawn off to leave a tidy job as the staking kit will need to remain in place for two to three years; scrappy staking will aesthetically ruin the appearance of your planting. Use one of the small nails (supplied in the double staking kit) to secure the rubber block in the right position onto the rail, but ensure that it has been hammered in far enough so that the head of the nail is recessed within the rubber block and cannot rub against the bark of the stem of the tree to cause damage.
- For smaller rootballed and container-grown trees it may only be necessary to use a single stake. Do not hammer the stake through the rootball, which will damage a section of the roots, but hammer the stake in at an angle of between 35 and 45 degrees, crossing the stem of the tree at a height between 60cm (2ft) and 90cm (3ft) above soil level. Ideally the stake would be positioned so that it works with the prevailing wind (e.g. if the wind on site usually blows from west to east, hammer in the stake so that the tip goes into the ground to the east of the tree and the top of the stake is pointing to the west, so as the tree bends with the wind it acts to push the stake into the ground). However, aesthetics and limitations to space may make it necessary for the stake to be pointing in different direction – simply make a judgement for what will work best on site. If using a buckle strap, ensure that the buckle is around the stake and not the tree, that the rubber spacer is in place to prevent rubbing between the stake and the stem of the tree, and that the strap is tight enough not to move. If using a length of heavy-duty strapping with a large rubber block, nail the block onto the stake in the correct position, loop the strap around the tree and through the slots in the rubber block, and then nail the strap at each end to the stake tightly enough to prevent movement (leave a little extra strapping to allow for it to be loosened as the tree stem grows).
- Larger trees may require aerial guying, and on some sites underground guying may be desirable. These options tend to be more expensive but may at times be the best option – if appropriate a member of our sales team will discuss these with you, a separate instruction sheet can be supplied for these when required.
- For bare-rooted trees, see general notes for bare-rooted stock (see above). Larger bare-rooted trees need staking in the same way as most rootballed and container-grown trees, but smaller trees may only require a single stake; since this can be hammered in vertically between the roots it may be easier to hammer the stake in first and then position the tree. Remember to securely tie the tree to the stake and not the stake to the tree, so when using a buckle tie ensure that the buckle is around the stake not the tree, and be certain that the rubber spacer is in place to avoid rubbing.