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jaxo_gw

When to remove supports from trees and conifers?

jaxo
10 years ago

These were all planted late last fall with support stakes attached to both the pear trees and the Juniper Skyrockets.
How long to you wait to remove the support poles attached?

Comments (6)

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    Juniper supports should have been removed at planting.

    The lollipop styled pear should be untethered now, if its rootball seems stable. Otherwise, wait until leaf drop this coming fall.

  • scotjute Z8
    10 years ago

    I would leave the stakes, but loosen up the straps so the trunk can move 2-3 inches. If no problems after 3 months, loosen more to about 6" of freedom of movement. Revaluate after 3-6 months and if good remove the stakes or loosen straps some more.

  • jaxo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    OK, I will look at loosening the stakes on the ornamental pear trees. I found a web page at the link below that says Juniper Skyrockets should not need stakes at all, so I will probably remove the stakes soon.

    I noticed the link says the Skyrockets should have full sun. It does have pretty much full sun now, but I have planted ornamental pear trees on each side of the patio (you can see the one on the east side of the patio in the picture above) so that the patio will have some shade in the future for hot summer days.
    The JS should outrun the pear trees in growth, but when the pear catches up starts providing shade, will the shade cause a problem for the junipers at that point?

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/JuniperSkyrocket.htm

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    "I found a web page at the link below that says Juniper Skyrockets should not need stakes at all..."

    Most trees don't need stakes when planted. There's nothing special about the a Skyrocket Juniper. There are valid reasons to stake trees, and one of them is when you are working with a tree that has been unnaturally limbed up so that it looks like a lollipop.

    It's normally not a bad idea to gradually loosen up the ties on a staked tree (to allow gradually increasing amounts of sway), but, with the stakes as close as they are to your pear tree's trunk, you won't be able to do much of that without potential for harming the trunk when it's windy (the tree could rub against the stake on the leeward side).

  • jaxo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    So, can the stakes on the ornamental pear trees be repositioned to allow more movement or should the stay the way they are for another year and then just remove the stakes completely?

    When they are mature, they are supposed to look something like this photo.

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    Check the rootball by moving the trunk back and forth and see what moves. If the rootball is not pretty solid, loosen the ties as much as you can without leaving danger of the tree contacting the stakes in windy conditions. Then, after leaf drop this coming fall, remove the ties and the stakes. I wouldn't go the trouble of moving the stakes, and you may no longer need them anyway.