UNITED STATES—Planting trees often involves staking. Until they disperse new roots, many new trees rely on stakes for stabilization. Their stability is limited by the initial confinement of their roots. Nursery stakes and their associated binding provide different support. They merely direct straight trunk growth. In a home garden, nursery stakes subordinate to landscape stakes.
This process is different for different trees. Small palm trees need no staking at all, either in nurseries or home gardens. Spruce trees are too stout to need support after they grow beyond their nursery stakes. Camphor trees may need both types of stakes concurrently. Landscape stakes maintain their stability as nursery stakes maintain their trunk integrity.
Typically though, landscape stakes completely replace nursery stakes of most trees. For adequate stability, they must extend into undisturbed soil below excavated soil. For most trees with bare trunks, such staking should reach lower limbs. Some trees need only one stake. Some, particularly those with large canopies, may need a pair of opposing stakes.
The stakes are high.
Straps that attach trees to their landscape stakes need proper installation also. They are more durable than nursery binding, but must not be too restrictive. They should only hold trees upright without interfering with their natural development. Straps should be as high as practical on their respective stakes. Additional ties may be needed to prevent bowing.
Some old fashioned straps are strips of old tires with bailing wire at each end. Others are simple bailing wire through bits of old hose. Modern straps are more refined and diverse to facilitate staking for diverse subjects. They should cross over between the stakes and the trees they support to limit abrasion. Short nails may attach them firmly to their stakes.
Staking should be as unobtrusive as possible. Trunks that can move somewhat freely in mild wind are studier than those that can not. Binding for trees that initially require it with staking should be as loose as practical. Incremental loosening might be safer for weakly limber trunks. Without loosening, tight binding might harmfully constrict trunk expansion.
Highlight: Four O’Clock
Punctuality is not one of its primary attributes. Four o’clock, Mirabilis jalapa, is supposed to unfurl its flowers about four o’clock. It is more likely to do so a bit later here because of aridity. Flowers can remain open and mildly fragrant all night, but might close after about noon. Four o’clock grows vigorously with summer warmth, but also appreciates humidity.
Floral color ranges through various hues of pink, red, orange, yellow and white. Flowers commonly exhibit stripes, spots or patches of other colors within this range. Flowers with completely different colors can bloom on the same stems. Simple bright pink flowers are typically the most fragrant. Other colors and mixed colors may lack fragrance completely.
Most four o’clock grow in their gardens without invitation. They sneak in as seed, but are too pretty to be weeds. They grow tuberous roots to overwinter as their foliage and stems later succumb to chill. Stems do not stand much more than three feet tall, but may sprawl twice as wide. Below their lush foliage, these lanky stems are vulnerable to disturbance and wind.
Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.
