IF ONE of your New Year’s resolutions is to be kinder to the environment, you might start by planting a tree – it is one of the simplest ways you can make a small but meaningful difference to your local area. However, if you are a newbie looking up how to do this, you will soon encounter one of horticulture’s most contentious issues: should you add a stake to help support your new sapling, or leave it au naturel?
Wander around almost any area with newly planted trees and you will see how widely the former is used, from tripods of metal poles to elaborate constructions of guide ropes, pairs of giant wooden stakes and specialist rubber ties – even invisible underground anchoring devices. But the strange thing is just how long ago scientific trials reported this practice to be counterproductive.
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We have known since the 1960s that staking trees alters their normal development. In nature, the rocking motion trees experience when buffeted by winds triggers them to grow stockier trunks and deeper roots. It is a fascinating phenomenon known as thigmomorphogenesis.
Staking not only reduces the overall movement of the tree necessary for this reaction, but also focuses the bending at the point immediately above the tie to the stake. This means that instead of developing stout bases that slowly taper toward the top of the tree, staked trees often start to thicken only above the tie, creating inversely tapered trunks that are thinner at the bottom. As soon as these stakes are removed, to some studies, the top-heavy trees can no longer support themselves.
We also know that ties can cause significant harm to trees – even death – by strangling the flow of water and nutrients through their trunks as they grow, and making them susceptible to infections. This kind of damage is extremely common, affecting over a third of all the sampled trees in London, to one study. This combination of factors is why researchers at institutions including and have labelled the idea that staking newly planted trees is necessary as a myth.
It is important to point out that a few studies have found that staking, if used for a very short period of time (around a year or so after planting), can have some . These include reduced incidence of tree stunting, pests, diseases and even death. However, the same team also found that this only seemed to be the case for public tree plantings maintained by professionals, , who generally failed to remove the stakes at the correct time.
So, for most home growers, the science is pretty clear: skip this laborious step and get better results. You’re welcome.
James Wong is a botanist and science writer, with a particular interest in food crops, conservation and the environment. Trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, he shares his tiny flat with more than 500 houseplants. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @botanygeek
For other projects visit newscientist.com/maker.
