To stake or not?

We planted a Catalpa last spring and didn't stake it. I had always heard staking was best, then it seemed the new thing was not to stake. I don't remember the reasons given for the new philosophy of not staking. Now that the cold winds have started to blow, I'm wondering what you all do. The Catalpa was in a 5 gallon pot and about 8-10 ft tall. Should I stake it now? Or not? We also found a redbud volunteer, about 12 ft tall in among lilacs in the back side yard. We removed the lilacs, but the redbud stayed. It was leaning and almost touching the ground. The trunk was slim enough to be able to pull it upright and stake it. How long will it take for it to stay upright? I yr, 2 yrs, never?

Thanks,

Terry

Don't know enough to answer your questions Terry, but I hope you plan on doing a whole bunch of fishing with that Catalpa tree. Everyday when I go to school I have to cross the road where one stands and I do a mini panic every morning praying them Catalpa worms don't fall into my hair.

I wonder if the worms are gonna eat your leavign nothign but the stems since your up in cold weather. Love the big heart shaped leaves but hate the worms, although people pay big money for the worms to fish with.

I can only guess that if your RedBud is now not hindered by the others trees and fightign for space it may just straighten up on its own. Then again maybe it will make an "S" type trunk.

It's okay to stake as long as the tree can have "normal" movements. If you can stake it to where it can sway a 1-2ft in either direction it should be fine. The natural swaying from mild winds makes for a stronger trunk. Do not stake it to where it is stiff and cannot move at all.

This message was edited Oct 12, 2006 7:36 PM

I vote for cutting the redbud off at 4 inches. You could even use your riding mower to chop it off if the trunk isn't too thick. Just be sure to make a clean cut after mowing. I think redbud make a nice multistem tree. The catalpa will probably be ok unless it is tall and gangly like the redbud. If you insist on keeping the redbud as is and staking, it should lignify and stand up on its own by next fall unless,...... unless it decides not to. They grow pretty fast and put on caliper well.

Best regards,
Ernie

Actually, the redbud isn't tall and gangly. Granted it's truck isn't what it probably should be, but it isn't as thin as the Catalpa. I can't have it multi stemmed because of a fence right there, and it's way too big to move. I want another one, so maybe I can get lucky and my new one next spring is multi stemmed.

I've never heard of Catalpa worms and I've walked under a few Catalpa's and never had any worms on me, so I'm hoping I'm lucky in that respect. And I don't fish.

Thanks to all, guess I should go buy some stakes and go ahead and stake it. Why do people stake them so rigidly anyway? I always wondered about that.

Here's a link about the "worms". http://www.ag.auburn.edu/enpl/bulletins/catalpasphinx/catalpasphinx.htm

This message was edited Oct 13, 2006 12:05 PM

Well...thanks for the link?? :o)

So it produces the sphinx moth, that's kind of cool. But reading it can strip the tree is not. It does say it's more of a southern thing, so I guess we'll see, eh? If I get em, who wants em to go fishing with? Do I have any takers? Ernie you aren't that far from me, you want them?

Huh! I was just about to take out the stakes from a June 23rd planted (B&B) 6" caliper Weeping Higan, figuring now that the leaves are nearly off there isn't much danger from winds, of which we are having plenty today! I HATE stakes, a necessary evil lookin contraption. I do stake loosely to allow the trunk to sway. I'm taking mine out.

I don't like stakes either unless absolutely necessary. You're right about them being evil looking and they just mess up the landscape, IMO. We're having winds today in excess of 30 mph. I figure I'll put them in yet this fall and leave them for awhile into next year.

If the tree can stand on it's own, you can remove the stakes. When it starts to walk, put bumpers on all the furniture, no sorry, confused...

Very funny PrairieGirlZ5. Not an LOL but a definite chuckle. Wearing my Municipal Tree Commission Chairperson hat (10 yrs) I have had trees in right of way plantings blow over for lack of staking even though the trunk was sturdy (2") and self supporting. The tree planting crew on two occaisions did all the planting first, then planned to go back and stake. This was poor planning. Heavy wind and rain intervened and toppled nearly 1/3 of the trees! They had to start all over again. Twice was enough and they got the message. Now all trees are staked AS they are planted. Stakes are left in for one calender year. We leave them in one calender year instead of one growing season to try to give them a little more time for root growth as some are planted in somewhat less than ideal soil. Right of way trees have a hard life. We mulch and water the first year too. After that they are on their own. I am proud to say that in the last two planting cycles we didn't lose a single tree. Some plantings we have lost 10%.

Another great factoid. I don't have any parkway trees at this house, so any suggestions are welcome.