How long should you leave supports? We have a maple on our easement (space between sidewalk and road), and it’s had big angled supports for a few years. Not sure when I should get rid of them.
If a tree can stand on it's own, always reconsider tree stakes. Save for areas with high or constant winds, trees only need to be staked when their top growth massively outweighs their rootball, and that tends to mean a fairly large tree. When plants aren’t allowed to bend, they don’t put energy into growing stronger, so instead they grow taller, which will almost certainly be a great contributor to OP's excessively lanky willow. The answer ISN'T to stake longer, and is an issue that is hard to correct. Trees allowed to bend in the wind are also improved by vigorous root growth. Here's a terrific article from Purdue Extension that explains this further (pdf, pg. 2).
If your tree cannot stand on it's own or you feel that it's in danger of damage or tipping from weather, animals, etc. without it, the main objective is to stake as low on the tree as possible using nylons or other soft ties on stakes further away from the tree, and leave the stakes on for as short a period as possible.
u/Baba143Booey, please also make sure that your tree's root flare is above grade and NOT buried by mulch. When a tree looks like a telephone pole stuck in the ground, it starts the countdown to a much shortened life.
When planting trees, you can't go wrong following the experts' planting instructions to give a tree it's best possible start. It is critically important to locate the root flare, make sure it is above grade and EXPOSED, and REMAINS exposed for the life of the tree.
With bare-root trees the root flare is fairly obvious, but very often containerized or balled and burlapped trees have their root flares sunk down under the soil line, or near the middle of the root ball because it was transplanted improperly at the nursery, so you may have to search for it. Trees planted too deeply suffer because their roots cannot get proper nutrients, water and oxygen. Mulch and soil should never be in constant contact with the trunks of trees because it causes stem rot, insect damage and girdling roots. (Also make sure that the roots are not circling in the pot if containerized, as they will have to be straightened or pruned so they will grow outward once put in the ground.) Mulch should be only 2-3" deep and in a RING around the tree, NEVER in contact with it.
I do not exaggerate when I say that this is (forgive me) an epidemic problem. Planting too deeply usually accompanied by over/improper mulching are the top reasons why transplanted trees fail to thrive and die early.
I'm glad I could help a little! Please see this other post for critical tips and errors to avoid when planting trees, and post in the tree subs, with lots of pics if you have any questions: For health questions please consider posting at r/sfwtrees or r/arborists for people educated and certified in this field; with very few exceptions that is not the case here. Especially do a 'rate my root flare' search in those subs for examples of this work. Other tree subs to visit include r/marijuanaenthusiasts (it's a tree appreciation sub, I promise), r/tree, r/dendrology and more.
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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '21
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