Author Topic: Staking Trees for Wind?  (Read 5797 times)

FruitFreak

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Staking Trees for Wind?
« on: September 05, 2017, 04:30:18 PM »
Should newly planted trees be staked in preparation for hurricane force winds or is it better to just let them get blown over?  I've read some conflicting information on this and was wondering if anyone has an opinion.  I was originally thinking a single stake tight to the trunk with nursery tape to secure them





« Last Edit: September 05, 2017, 04:31:55 PM by FruitFreak »
- Marley

Ulfr

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2017, 04:51:14 PM »
Are we talking actual hurricane?(EDIT: Yeah you are, just looked at the latest over there). I imagine with a single stake you would just have the top snap off but that might be better then them being ripped out? If I was going to do it I would use three stakes placed away from the trunk and tied to different points down low.

Nice trees :)
« Last Edit: September 06, 2017, 04:59:05 AM by Ulfr »

dwfl

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2017, 04:56:51 PM »
"No amount of staking will help - just hope that the roots haven't grown so much that the trees break. Hopefully they will just fall over and then you can stand them upright again." (if you can find them!) Words from nursery owner on the island. Good luck

skhan

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2017, 04:59:57 PM »
I wonder if large diameter PVC can just slide right over.
Then anchor the PVC with some CMU Blocks, rebar, etc

FruitFreak

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2017, 05:04:46 PM »
"No amount of staking will help - just hope that the roots haven't grown so much that the trees break. Hopefully they will just fall over and then you can stand them upright again." (if you can find them!) Words from nursery owner on the island. Good luck

None of their roots are very established.  Most however have flushed some.  I started planting in early July.  Hopefully, they just blow over and Ill stake back up after the storm.  For stakes I always go to the surveyors.  Thanks.
- Marley

FruitFreak

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2017, 05:05:40 PM »
I wonder if large diameter PVC can just slide right over.
Then anchor the PVC with some CMU Blocks, rebar, etc

Sounds good in theory however material cost and labor for over 300 trees just isn't feasible.  Maybe for a few trees though...?
- Marley

Seanny

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2017, 05:52:36 PM »
I would use 1 central rebar stake and trim all branches to 6" from trunk before evacuation. Trim the rebar to be not higher than the tree. The rebar would flex and absorb some energy.

Beautiful area.

sapote

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2017, 08:14:55 PM »
I would tie the trunk using 3 strong lines in 120* angle to anchor to ground or nearby objects. strip off the leaves to reduce wind friction.

Orkine

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2017, 08:22:01 PM »
Are you in the cone or just close?  Are you expecting hurricane force winds or tropical storm force winds?
If it is the big wind, you may not even find the plants, if you are on the edge, your actions may save your trees and maybe even this seasons growth.

Can you stake 300 trees?  Make sure your stakes are themselves secure and don't become projectiles.




koundog

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2017, 08:41:54 PM »
I would thinking staking will increase the odds of them snapping depending on how young your trees are they will be much more flexible than a mature tree my plans for my trees are bend don't break

simon_grow

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2017, 11:02:09 PM »
Can you severely trim back the canopy leaving only scaffold branches and leaving only very few or no leaves? I would think the tree would grow back fast although you will probably loose several years of fruit.

Simon

Mark in Texas

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2017, 10:01:45 AM »
Been thru this kind of thing.  DO NOT STAKE, you're wasting precious time that could be used for personal safety purposes.  Come back, upright, and THEN stake.

They will most likely go over staked or not.

Good luck Marley, been thinking about you and writing about you situation on Facebook this morn.

FruitFreak

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2017, 10:24:03 AM »
Can you severely trim back the canopy leaving only scaffold branches and leaving only very few or no leaves? I would think the tree would grow back fast although you will probably loose several years of fruit.

Simon

Hi Simon.   I could but most of the trees are so small already and my thought is that they will get blown over leaves or no leaves. 
- Marley

FruitFreak

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2017, 10:28:03 AM »
Been thru this kind of thing.  DO NOT STAKE, you're wasting precious time that could be used for personal safety purposes.  Come back, upright, and THEN stake.

They will most likely go over staked or not.

Good luck Marley, been thinking about you and writing about you situation on Facebook this morn.

Hi Mark.  Typical farming, you know how it is.  I prayed for rain before I planted my first tree and we get record rainfall with lots of flooding, now we get a hurricane to go with it :)  I will be praying now for minimal damage and for Carlos/other forum members along the Eastern seaboard. Will not be staking until after the storm - THANKS! 
- Marley

Mark in Texas

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2017, 09:50:58 AM »
Hi Mark.  Typical farming, you know how it is.  I prayed for rain before I planted my first tree and we get record rainfall with lots of flooding, now we get a hurricane to go with it :)  I will be praying now for minimal damage and for Carlos/other forum members along the Eastern seaboard. Will not be staking until after the storm - THANKS!

Yep, am hoping for the best amigo!

Like I said, been there done that.  No sooner had I hand planted 1,750 trees and a destructive hail storm with perhaps an embedded tornado, at least a foot of rain and straight line winds, laid them over.  One by one you upright, pound down the soil with your foot, stake and go onto the next one.   We also lost our roof and north windows, etc. on our new custom built house.

Mother nature is a cruel mistress


zands

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #15 on: September 07, 2017, 10:22:25 AM »
I would have neglected it otherwise...... thanks for the reminder. I staked one tree and have my fingers crossed on this hurricane. It should do a Matthew and run north from 40-50 miles offshore. I will even accept 30 miles!
« Last Edit: September 07, 2017, 10:24:06 AM by zands »

edzone9

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2017, 10:24:32 AM »
Good Luck Marley !
Are you staying in Naples ?

Ed

I got mine staked !
Zone 10

dwfl

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2017, 11:11:46 AM »
I would have neglected it otherwise...... thanks for the reminder. I staked one tree and have my fingers crossed on this hurricane. It should do a Matthew and run north from 40-50 miles offshore. I will even accept 30 miles!

Looks like eye wall will make impact in FL. Still has time to change track though

FruitFreak

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #18 on: September 08, 2017, 12:01:53 AM »
Hi Mark.  Typical farming, you know how it is.  I prayed for rain before I planted my first tree and we get record rainfall with lots of flooding, now we get a hurricane to go with it :)  I will be praying now for minimal damage and for Carlos/other forum members along the Eastern seaboard. Will not be staking until after the storm - THANKS!

Yep, am hoping for the best amigo!

Like I said, been there done that.  No sooner had I hand planted 1,750 trees and a destructive hail storm with perhaps an embedded tornado, at least a foot of rain and straight line winds, laid them over.  One by one you upright, pound down the soil with your foot, stake and go onto the next one.   We also lost our roof and north windows, etc. on our new custom built house.

Mother nature is a cruel mistress

Absolutely Brutal. 
- Marley

FruitFreak

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #19 on: September 08, 2017, 12:11:07 AM »
Good Luck Marley !
Are you staying in Naples ?

Ed

I got mine staked !

I went ahead and removed most of the stakes throughout the farm in hopes that the trees get pushed over rather than snap at the tie point.  I do however have 200 stakes on hand for the aftermath if there's anything left.  Wife and kids are in GA with inlaws.  I'm going to weather the storm with my dad at the farm.  Hopefully the house will hold up.  It is new block/stemwall/tiebeam, 4/12 hip roof, impact windows and doors, truss straps so we'll see.  We do have a portable generator.  You guys?
- Marley

Mark in Texas

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #20 on: September 08, 2017, 10:09:46 AM »

I went ahead and removed most of the stakes throughout the farm in hopes that the trees get pushed over rather than snap at the tie point.  I do however have 200 stakes on hand for the aftermath if there's anything left.  Wife and kids are in GA with inlaws.  I'm going to weather the storm with my dad at the farm.  Hopefully the house will hold up.  It is new block/stemwall/tiebeam, 4/12 hip roof, impact windows and doors, truss straps so we'll see.  We do have a portable generator.  You guys?

Smart! 

Just a thought.  A Generac brand whole house auto-start generator tied into the main circuit box (200 amp) is really a nice way to go if you have the bucks and feel it's worth the aggravation.  During devastating hurricane Celia we had no electricity for 2 weeks, no telephones for 6.

spaugh

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #21 on: September 08, 2017, 02:43:07 PM »

I went ahead and removed most of the stakes throughout the farm in hopes that the trees get pushed over rather than snap at the tie point.  I do however have 200 stakes on hand for the aftermath if there's anything left.  Wife and kids are in GA with inlaws.  I'm going to weather the storm with my dad at the farm.  Hopefully the house will hold up.  It is new block/stemwall/tiebeam, 4/12 hip roof, impact windows and doors, truss straps so we'll see.  We do have a portable generator.  You guys?

Smart! 

Just a thought.  A Generac brand whole house auto-start generator tied into the main circuit box (200 amp) is really a nice way to go if you have the bucks and feel it's worth the aggravation.  During devastating hurricane Celia we had no electricity for 2 weeks, no telephones for 6.

How many watts is your generator mark?  Can you pump water too?  How horse is the water pump?  Im asking because the electric company wants to cut power here during a fire storm.  Of course thats when I need my water flowing the most.
Brad Spaugh

Mark in Texas

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #22 on: September 09, 2017, 08:27:16 AM »
How many watts is your generator mark?  Can you pump water too?  How horse is the water pump?  Im asking because the electric company wants to cut power here during a fire storm.  Of course thats when I need my water flowing the most.

When we moved here with the co-op electricity company, we would constantly get blinks and sometimes outages lasting hours.  That's when I investigated the whole system, but never installed one.  Problems were fixed 100% when they converted to a sub station up the road and changed out poles/equipment in the area.  125V, clean power now.  Neighbor has one though and likes it.  Tieing into the main box is the only way to go.

I have 2 Grundfos constant water supply pumps, 2 wells.  1 HP, ass kickers and the smart technology in the CU301 is to die for.  Recommend for you the 15 SQE-07-180.  Buy the system cheap off ebay.  Install the console yourself, have a well service install the pump.  Cheap, easy, and excellent value.  Essentially what it is, is a computer/pressure transducer telling the pump how fast to spin based on demand from few RPM's (brushing your teeth) to 12,000.  T off to an inline 2 gal. bladder tank if your system is closed, which I assume it is, unless you're part of a subdivision.  I'm out here a lone so our system is "closed".

Good luck!
« Last Edit: September 09, 2017, 08:29:40 AM by Mark in Texas »

Orkine

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #23 on: September 09, 2017, 08:55:23 PM »
Good Luck Marley !
Are you staying in Naples ?

Ed

I got mine staked !

I went ahead and removed most of the stakes throughout the farm in hopes that the trees get pushed over rather than snap at the tie point.  I do however have 200 stakes on hand for the aftermath if there's anything left.  Wife and kids are in GA with inlaws.  I'm going to weather the storm with my dad at the farm.  Hopefully the house will hold up.  It is new block/stemwall/tiebeam, 4/12 hip roof, impact windows and doors, truss straps so we'll see.  We do have a portable generator.  You guys?
Marley, stay safe.  Looks like you guys on the west coast (of FL) are getting the worst of this.
Take care of yourself.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Staking Trees for Wind?
« Reply #24 on: September 11, 2017, 09:25:29 AM »
Marley, stay safe.  Looks like you guys on the west coast (of FL) are getting the worst of this.
Take care of yourself.

Yeah, I feel for Marley.  Saw aftermath drone footage of the Naples area.  Not good.  :-[

Anyone heard from Carlos?  He emailed me yesterday morn said he had the family, grandkids with him, they apparently stuck it out in Homestead.  Was very scared.

Mark