Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Best method of staking tall trees (15 ft), 1 by greatswede

greatswede wrote:

greatswede wrote:My next door neighbor has a 15 foot tall Chinese Elm. He took his poles out a year ago and the tree started going over last winter. We were both out there in the windstorm securing the tree with ropes and stakes. Afterwards, his gardener put 4 lodge poles around his tree. Two days ago we had fierce winds again and the ties snapped from the poles. This time they were on a cruise so I was out there alone trying to restrain the tree. I did secure everything but the tree is listing about 5 to 10 degrees. The reason the straps snapped were they were the thing plastic type more suitable for securing vines. I could stretch the plastic straps with my bare hands.

Update: I saved my neighbor's tree. But when he got back from their cruise, he took my fiberglass reinforced straps off and replaced them with....would you believe it? Bungee cords. Hope you can see his "professional" methods in the picture of how to (not) tie a tree to lodge poles. I'm thorougly amazed. Bungee cords. Oh yeah he also has clothes line wire around one post with braided metal strands around the tree. He is protecting the posts from damage though.

Maybe you all can learn a thing or two from this.

This message was edited May 22, 2010 7:40 PM