Serious question, a landscaper told me he never stakes new trees

I was talking with a landscaper named Greg after a job in Bellingham, and he said he hasn't staked a new tree in over five years, claiming it forces them to build stronger roots. I always thought staking was a must for the first season, but his success rate made me reconsider my whole process. Do you guys stake everything, or are you more selective now?

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3 Comments

kelly_coleman616mo ago

Honestly, that's a wild take from Greg but I kinda get it. I only stake now if it's a really bare root whip or the spot is crazy windy. Tbh, watching an unstaked pine wobble a bit in the wind last year made me nervous, but the root ball never moved. So what kind of trees was he planting without stakes? Like, big box store maples in burlap, or smaller stuff?

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hugoj863mo ago

Whoa, he planted bare root stuff without any stakes? That's wild!

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mary2396mo ago

Staking everything is just lazy planting. A wobbly tree builds a stronger trunk and a wider root system. You're basically making a weak, dependent tree if you stake when it's not needed.

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