Remember that the reason for staking is not to keep the tree from snapping but rather to keep the immature root system from moving in the ground until it can establish. When high wind areas require staking, I haave always used a LOW diagonal stake at the base of the tree, enough to keep the ball from pivoting in the ground but not keeping the trunk from swaying and strengthining. Also, make sure that there is a figure 8 loop around the stake and the tree and that the stake is on the side of the dominant wind. This will keep it from rubbing...
hortster

What horster said. I will add one thing. I would leave it staked until winter. The roots will grow into the surrounding soil all summer, through fall, and probable well into winter in your climate. By the time it loses leaves in the fall,, the roots should have strengthen and well penetrated the surrounding soil. That combined with lose of leaves, thereby reducing win drag, it should be fine to un-stake at that time. Next spring, the roots will be growing before leaf out, and the tree should be more than ready for the increased wind drag by that time. I used this exact approach on our Chinese Pistache that blew over in a storm after planting it. No problems since.

Arktrees

I know there are pros and cons and it was nice and strong, had not been staked while at the farm.

==>>> well of course it wasnt..

it had an INTACT root system to hold it up ... i like to tell peeps.. that the root system underground.. is at least as big.. if not bigger than the tree above.. to help them conceptualize just what was cut off at transplant ...

what does your have to hold it up??? HOPE????

stake it properly.. until it can grow enough roots.. to .. get this.. hold itself up ... and frankly.. we can only guess about all that ...

you said: We got about 5" of rain in a 12 hr period

yep.. the soil disturbed at planting.. liquified.. complicated by the fact that it leafed out.. and created what was basically a sailboat sail in a puddle ... and i dont see how you are going to stake ONLY the rootball with that sized sail ...

looking forward.. start enjoying those stakes.. and leave them there for about 2 years.. until hopefully it will grow enough roots to maintain vertical ..

ask if you need info on PROPER MULCHING.. and PROPER WATERING ...

what you dont mention.. is your native soil type.. and what may or may not have been added to the planting hole ...

i would disregard any worry about breaking a few branches.. or what little root growth there may have been ...

and i presume it was warrantied .. and i would politely put the seller on notice.. especially if he installed it ... because apparently his stake theory was wrong ...

and next time.. think about not going bigger than a one inch caliper.. they transplant easier.. cope better.. and are less stressed all things considered.. and in a given 5 years span.. would probably outgrow the 2 inch ... and this can be used as a bargaining chip for a smaller replacement.. should the seller balk for some reason. ...

ken

Ken-It was in a root bag above ground so it didn't lose any roots. It was planted into the native clay soil (blackland prairie), no amendments, proper depth, watered in and properly mulched.

Horster-what kind of material do you use around the trunk?

Thanks!

For the single low stake with figure 8 loop I prefer nylon rope through a section of good, flexible garden hose. If I were to do a double stake I would still do it LOW on the trunk and would use these 1-1/2" wide nylon straps with gromets to spread the pressure on the trunk:
{{gwi:333397}}
If you use these, don't make the common mistake of making a complete loop around the tree (tends to "choke" it).
hortster

Dug out a picture of the figure 8. This one is a little bigger than ken's 1" tree - it was a replacement for a 10" lacebark elm that an ice storm took out (left side of pic). It is in a high wind area and had quite enough foliage on top to create a lot of wind resistance, ergo the stake.
hortster
{{gwi:333398}}

Above ground root-bags are going to be lighter due to the planting media. Below ground bags are usually the same soil that came out of the hole. Clay soil grown trees are usually pretty heavy. So a above ground grown tree will need to be staked for about a year because it has a lighter root ball. I would stake the tree proportionately to the height of the tree for the first year.

Lucas,

It's pretty much given that you'd have to stake a tree (depending on the size of the tree vs size of root system) where you live. I know it can get really windy in the spring so I had to stake my trees so it doesn't lean toward north from strong south winds.

You said grow bag... Let me guess... Chamberville Tree Farm?

I had something similar happen to about the same size cedar elm. I kept it staked for a year, then loosened the ties an inch or two every 6 months, then removed stakes at 2 years.
Tree has been fine ever since. About 15' high now, 4" trunk.