Guying uprooting trees

[KentuckySawyer]

Whats the consensus on the guying of slightly uprooting trees? Namely conifers (Pines and spruces). How long should they remain guyed and what is the preferred material (ie rope or cable)?

Maybe combine it with an application of Cambistat?

 

[Treeman14]

It all depends on WHY the tree is leaning in the first place. Did it get pushed over by high winds? Is there a root problem, i.e. girdling? Improper planting? In other words, get to the root of the problem.

If you decide it needs guying, I prefer a system that allows for trunk movement rather than a rigid bracing system. And I never leave it on for more than one year, preferably about 6 months. If the tree can't stand on its own after that, it's time to go.

 

[begleytree]

I have an 8" dbh silver maple thats been guyed for 2 years now. it was always leaning out slightly looking for sun under a few other trees. when we got our ice storm, it layed over on the ground.
The competing pines, save one, were destroyed and thusly removed, repairing the shadeing problem. I guyed it to the remaining pine with 5/16 cable. first year, due to small girth 2/3 up, I wrapped the cable through hose loosley. I went back after one year, and released the cable, and the tree only drifted over about 2 feet at the top. I went ahead and screw anchored it then since it didn't need much tension. the shaded side is filling in nicely now. expect I'll pull the cable late this year. I want just one more season to help the roots take good hold, and not have to hold against high spring winds with a full canopy of leaves.

Haven't done but one spruce, and it was doing fine until one week I was out of town, and the homeowner saw some dead needles and had it removed, and replaced by the local landscape co. To this day I believe it would have been fine, but, I'll never know now. BTW, it was guyed in winter, and removed in the spring. When I went by to clean it up, it was out of the ground for 3 days, and still green enough that you couldn't easily pull needles from it.
-Ralph

 

[treeseer]

A big arizona cypress was bent 90* by snow so I guyed it. Checked annually; it took 3 years to stand up on its own. Would've been a big goof to give up after one year; this was a public garden and it would've been mightily missed.

I like using arbor-tie, spiralled around the trunk to avoid choking it.

I like the term "guy' too'; catchy name!

 

[treeseer]

ISA BMP's: "On tree uprighted after storms or large transplants, guys should remain in place three years or more until the root system reestablishes. On mature trees, guy systems may be required permanently."

Brett, don't be too quick to pull the plug, eh?

 

[Sirpouralot]

ISA BMP's: "On tree uprighted after storms or large transplants, guys should remain in place three years or more until the root system reestablishes. On mature trees, guy systems may be required permanently."

Brett, don't be too quick to pull the plug, eh?

Yes agreed.
You might think of it the same way you look at crutches after someone has an injury to there leg. How bad the injury is, and how long it takes to heal, will determine the length of time they will be dependent on crutches. Now if you have ever been on crutches, then you know the pain and soreness that can develope under the armpits by extended use. It feels so good to finally be rid of them. So the guys should come off when it makes sense to do so. Never should they be installed in such a way that will cause further damage to the tree.

For larger trees that we know the guy will have to remain for the long haul, we install an eye-bolt through the trunk of the tree and use thimble and cable. For smaller developing trees we also like the arbor rope that is flat and green in color, as it is less intrusive.

How though should the angle of the stake be installed in relation to the tree? Should it be like this / l ...... or like this \| ? This is a question that you should also consider, as the later allows for more trunk movement but gives less support, where as the first provides stronger support, but less vertical movement. Again the question, what are you trying to achieve?

 

[M.D. Vaden]

At country clubs I was at - tons of trees - every one we pulled back and guyed for a year or two, always went back over with the next storm. For - if the roots grew, the tree (large) also increased and the proportion of canopy to new root was never right.

Unless I can rock and tilt the entire root system, I now prune to thin and let the tree self-correct with growth.

Or, I guy in place.

A leaning tree - due to it's position, now has more wind resistance. The farther a tree leans, the more the wind pulls along the trunk, instead of pushing against the trunk. It becomes more of an attempt by nature to uproot, versus pushing against.

And I like to try and eliminate the cause. Suppose a downspout was emptying water toward a tree; I'll try to add a drain line to route around the tree, so the soil doesn't saturate and soften so bad.