I seldom stake trees because I plant small ones. I plant them, remove that scrawny nursery stake and if it's standing straight up, I leave it alone.

And yes, they do develop better trunks if they can flex.

1 - Leave the stakes alone for now.

2- Remove the ties while someone is holding the trunk just above the ties.

3 - Slide your hand down the trunk until the trunk starts to flop over for lack of support.

4 - Obviously, if your hand reaches the ground and the tree is still upright, there is no need for staking and ties.

5 - If the tree starts to flex and flop over, re-tie it to the stakes 6-12 inches above where your hand was when it started flopping. Tie it loosely so the trunk can sway a bit in the breeze.

6 - RECHECK every month to see if you can lower the ties or remove them completely.

I use stretchy ties made from old panty hose so the tree can move in the wind, which stimulates trunk growth. I also make checking and removing ties a regular part of yard work when I have small trees. That and pruning them to establish a good shape early.

Hi lazygardens- Thank you for your excellent advice. We're going to follow your instructions today.

I would agree... staking is only needed if the rootball mass is not sufficient to keep the tree erect and prevent tilting over in the wind.

We did as lazygardens instructed and the trees were fine, no problems remaining totally upright, so we removed the stakes altogether. Thanks, Isabella for confirming.