[Broken Bear]

We planted 19 24" Chestnu wet seedlings this past fall once the seedlings went dormant ..checked the hill where planted and have new growth on 17 ..so far so good

NOW... the 1" grey conduit we used ...( a suggestion from others as this was my first rodeo)
on the 5 foot miracle grow tubes are not OK

So what works for you fellow tree planters?

Bear

 

[Gamegetter]

I use wood stakes with 5' tree tubes. I have a bunch of new tubes and stakes if anyone needs some, let me know.

 

[truehunter]

As joe does I use wood . But some still get blown over in high wind and soggy ground .

 

[CuivreDog2]

We planted 19 24" Chestnu wet seedlings this past fall once the seedlings went dormant ..checked the hill where planted and have new growth on 17 ..so far so good

NOW... the 1" grey conduit we used ...( a suggestion from others as this was my first rodeo)
on the 5 foot miracle grow tubes are not OK

So what works for you fellow tree planters?

Bear

What happened to the stakes?????

 

[henry]

I've had luck so far using 4' fiberglass rods. I'm thinking my tubes are 4 foot

 

[90acres]

5ft steel fencepost

 

[bowhunter8]

Scrap rebar from home construction sites. Push it in about a foot or more in ground

 

[BC-Buck]

conduit cheapest

 

[letemgrow]

I go with the fiberglass rods from tractor supply that are used for electric fencing. They were $1 per post and last years.

 

[Broken Bear]

What happened to the stakes?????

Well ...a combination of things I think ...the tubes are big 5.5" X5' ..so wind really worked on the stake ...that was one thing (lean over) ...then another problem is I was transplanting dormant seedling with fair size root so a 5"X16" hole was created to accept the plant with the net results being the stake being close to the seedling cavity wall and caving occurred ....plus round (conduit) moves thru wet dirt more readily than square/flat sided material

I have 36 seedlings now started that I will also do the fall dormancy planting with .. but my mind is already working on a "stand off bracket" system where I can set the stake say 4 to 6" from the actual plant cavity wall

This will no doubt evolve but right now I'm thinking a 1.5"X1.5"X6' oak stake ..dipped in Thompson's water seal with a hole at the top drilled for an 8" long small diameter rebar as the stand off device with a washer welded on the tube end and on the stake end .....a washer welded 2" in from the end and a cotter pin and washer to hold it in place making the standoff device removable so I can drive the stake and then install the standoff
NOW YOU GUYS have fun with me ..I've got tuff skin ...but come up with a simpler solution as this one is way too ........well it's too complicated ..so get me simple

Bear

 

[truehunter]

No simple solution to protecting these things . It’s just time and a little effort .
I think in the end wire cages are a necessity to keep bucks from fibbing

 

[Gamegetter]

I go with the fiberglass rods from tractor supply that are used for electric fencing. They were $1 per post and last years.

I think that is about what I paid for the oak 6' posts.

 

[gurgalunas]

I use tubes and grey pvc. I do go through all trees every spring, straighten the leaning stakes, prune the lower branches to encourage more leader growth. Once they are in the ground 3-4 years, the stake really isnt needed anymore. The tree grows out of the tube, trunk develops and I just leave the tube as trunk protection vs bucks rubbing.

I dont dig holes as wide as you describe. My trees go in the ground from 4" or 1 gal pots so max diameter is 8-10". I use tpost driver to sink posts. If not planting bare root going forward, the problem may not be as severe. Also, you may be planting more exposed than I do, but i find that doubtful. Mine are on an unprotected hilltop, so not sure how it could be worse...

Is it possible you need to drive the stake deeper into the undisturbed soil?

 

[DCoates]

I buy 5' rebar and sink it in 1'. Using 5' tubes the top hole is 1' down. I've tried wood and hollow steel stakes that were less expensive. Pounding them into rocky soil they've got challenges and I broke some of both. Going into my 4th year with some they're failing and I'm replacing them with rebar. All seedling plantings I've done since the 1st year are rebar. They're not cheap but they don't fail and when you take the tubes off you reuse the rebar to anchor the basket you put around the trunk. For MDC seedlings I spend $8-$9 per $.35 seedling but it gives them a definite advantage. For $15 fruit seedlings I add a $2-$3 4'x4' grass mat to give them an additional advantage. WARNING: When doing a controlled burn understand the mat and tube are very flamable will kill the tree as it burns. I only lost 2 trees this way but it was a hard learned lesson for the time, $, and effort each tree has gotten.