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| I just planted a River Birch last night - about 5 ft. tall - 3 clump.
I bought this particular one from my local nursery. It was a 4 clump, but when I dug down to look for a root flare, it was a 3 clump with a 1 trunk held on my girdling roots. So, I gently separated the roots (it was pot bound and the roots could only go up in the pot). The 1 trunk fell away so I am not going to plant that with the rest. I only dug 4 inches deep as that was how far it was to have the root flare where I think it should be. I spread out the roots and planted it. Needless to say, it will fall over if I breathe on it. Also, it is in a very windy location (which is why I chose river birch, it was touted as wind resistant). So, how do I stake a 3 clump River Birch? What material do I use? Right now I have 3 stakes about 18 in. - 2 feet from the tree and each trunk is individually tied to a post about 1 ft. off the ground with panty hose (yeah, I know, classy - but it was what I had). It did not work. Also, I am worried a good wind will pull the tree apart with my staking job. It is leaning pretty good this morning and it is not really that windy as it is raining gently. Help! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| If you must stake the tree, stake it low so that the top can sway and strengthen in the wind. The purpose of staking is to prevent the roots moving in the ground until they can establish, not to keep the top from moving. The only effective way to stake a multi-stemmed tree is through the tree as shown below. hortster
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, May 31, 12 at 12:49
| you are really stretching your luck.. not learning how to post pix ... and wanting us to guess about it all and provide good information ken ps: if and when you ever do this again ... it is preferable to do it with DORMANT trees.. which are leafless.. which allows the tree to settle in somewhat ... prior to leafing out.. and becoming a sail.. as in sailboat ... |
Here is a link that might be useful: how to post pix
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- Posted by mackel_in_dfw (My Page) on Thu, May 31, 12 at 15:22
| Son- Just for kicks, I think you should do the same thing...plant a tree... It's a thrill getting a tree to take at this time of year, man...It's been done before... and what can't kill ya, can make you into a better person, Pops... Sanford-"I'm planting that tree today for you, Louizy...right now Baby!"(holds right hand to heart, left hand extended, gazing upward)... Mackel PS- I'm in the middle of planting a tree |
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- Posted by mackel_in_dfw (My Page) on Thu, May 31, 12 at 15:36
| Many times, I take a bamboo stick, go down far, place the root ball on the ground and with the trunk running right along the side of the bamboo pole, use masking tape to connect banboo pole with the trunk, then cover the roots with dirt... Then, the dance... I play music to the tree, sway around with her do the waltz, not overdo it so she stays nice and slim, and slowly remove, each piece of masking tape so after weeks of intense amour she does the swang by herself, nekid and no bamboo pole... Mackel |
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| Here is the tree, how it looked today. Sad, eh? This is NOT the tree mentioned in my other post. This particular one was bought at my local nursery. As you can see, it was buried pretty high in the pot. I dug last night and put it in, and then it rained all night/day (about 12-14 hours) so it is muddy now. Do to it leaning so far, it came out of the ground more. My staking job is obviously not right (and tacky with the hose). In the next few weeks I plan on extending the mulched part another 2 feet around it and making it look nicer. I ran out of daylight last night and it is too muddy today. The picture with my hubby (who is not happy to be having anything to do with trees) is obviously what I want it to look light. It is in a high wind area.
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| Geez. Refer to above staking diagram and move stakes and nylon hose! Increase the stability, ain't there now. Water like hades as the soil dries...good luck. What the heck is the black stuff at the base? Looks like a water haul to me...literally and figuratively! hortster |
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| The black stuff is the soil stuck on it from the soil in the pot it came in. It was really dark black soil. You can see some of it on the ground by the pot in the back. Ok, dumb question...what do you mean by water haul? Did I put the base at the right height? Too deep or too shallow? Thanks! |
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| Figuratively speaking, a water haul is casting the (fishing) net and getting nothing for the effort. A poor way, I guess, of saying that you need to re-stake the tree. Literally speaking, the tree will need lots of water "hauled" to it (being a river birch that likes moist, but not saturated soil). I think I see the root flare so the planting depth should be OK. The flare needs to be level with or slightly above the soil surrounding the planting hole. Good luck with the tree! hortster |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 12:19
| annie is a weird name for the guy in the pic ... lol why do you have the stakes so far away ??? understand.. that trees are supposed to blow in the wind... not be bound static ... and that is in general ... your root problem.. pun intended.. is that you opted for instant gratification ... and bought a very large tree in what i am guessing.. was a too small pot .. the pot should have been about knee height to you and about 3 to 4 feet across.. it wasnt.. was it ... i be the tree in the pot.. would have blown over also ... ergo .. you dont have a root mass .. or ball of soil.. large enough to hold it up ... check out the link .. 3 foot sticks in a padded envelope ... 12 years ago.. planting in the proper season ... BTW... i wonder if yours is actually a clump of three trees. or one tree .. 'made' into a clump ... regardless.. for future knowledge.. select a better plant NEXT TIME ... ken i THINK.. you need to move those stake at least half as close.. |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 12:20
| i have no clue how i moved all the paragraphs around.. lol i hope you can make heads and tails of it ken |
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- Posted by ilovemytrees 5b Western NY (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 12:32
| I have a 4 ft American Hornbeam in clump form right in front of our house that I planted about 3 weeks ago or so. I don't stake any of my trees, but I do have a few of them (including the Hornbeam) with these plant supports surrounding them. I gave you a link to check out. I live in a pretty windy area so I like these plant supports for the first year or two. They aren't attached to the tree, so the tree can blow back and forth a little, but the supports are there in case the wind blows too hard. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Supports
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| As to ken's "wonder" about a clump of trees or one tree made into a clump: If three trees are planted together quite often one of them will develop as a runt, being outcompeted by the other two, making the tree look odd. Also, they may take years to graft strongly together at the base, creating inherent weakness. Our grower always planted single saplings, let them grow for a year, then whacked them off at the ground the following spring. When several (almost always more than three) suckers emerged he would eventually select three or five of them that had similar speed of growth. He also selected them for the overall shape of the tree. Because they were attached on the same root the clump was stronger from the getgo. hortster |
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| My husband was holding tree...that is all he has to do with trees...he was outside for 5 minutes to hold it...outdoor work is my work (the woman - LOL) I was not trying for "instant gratification"! That tree is from our local landscaping/tree place and I bought the smallest River Birch that they sell! There were 3 sizes of trees larger than this. I had said it was 5 ft...apparently it is bigger than that as my husband is 6 ft...distance and measurements are not my thing....apparently When I took this out of the pot, it had this 3 clump all connected to 1 root ball, and then a 1 trunk with roots girdling it onto the 3 clump. So, I gently removed the 1 trunk and gave that away to someone and only planted the 1 rootball with 3 trunks thinking that then I would have less girdling issues later in life... accurate thinking? Yes, time of year planting is not ideal...I have to do things slowly around the house as I have time as I have little kids to tend to while I do the outside work (and no mature trees to tie them to to keep them in the yard-just kidding). Also, I am a weakling and it takes me longer than it should to dig holes ;) |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 17:33
| the point of the other post.. was that i planted .. bare root.. 3 foot whips.. mail order ... in the proper season .. and they needed no staking.. and you saw the result of 12 years growth ... i am offering an alternative.. should this project fail.. OR!!!! you want to try something else next time ... i just dont understand how you are going to stake yours ... i have to go make dinner.. more later ken |
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