Bent arborvitae-how do I stake them?
dka...@ibm.net
I have 2 cigar-shaped arborvitae, about 9 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide. Each
plant has about 4-5 vertical "stems". They're about 4 years old. Last
winter, heavy snow caused these stems to splay outward, but by mid-April
(in Rochester NY), the had straightened themselves completely. All we
did was gently brush off the snow.
This year, they haven't straightened themselves, and they look like
hell. I need some tips as to how to stake and/or tie them.
They need to be pulled toward their centers. Although I have some very
tall metal posts, I'm concerned about damaging the roots if I use one of
these. On the other hand, if I tie the stems to one another, what would
I use that would not chafe the bark?
Any other thoughts would be appreciated. I don't want to replace these
plants, since I still remember what it was like to dig their holes (and
my back remembers, too).
Doug Kanter
Kay Cangemi
You have hit one of the chronic problems with arborvitae - and why I don't
want to have anything to do with them. After a really serious snowfall,
they won't just bend, they'll break off, leaving nothing but a stump.
They'll also develop bare spots where branches have been permanently bent
away from the main tree. They really aren't good in places that get heavy
snowfall.
That said, if you have any old hose, you can use that as protection for the
bark. Run a cord inside the hose, position it around the trunk, and tie it
tight. And think about something to replace them. This problem is only
going to get worse.
--
Kay Cangemi
New York, USDA zone 5
B & J
The easiest way to prevent arborvitae from pulling apart
from the weight of the snow is to tie them together with
plastic clothes line in the fall. I tie mine together with
lengths of line around the plants about 3/4 the way up the
plant each fall before snow arrives and remove the line in
the spring to be saved for the following winter. Plastic
clothes line also works quite well for pulling bent stems
back into position. The plastic line does not bother the
bark and can eventually be removed although I have forgotten
some for years with no adverse effect. John (zone 3,
northern Minnesota, where we seldom lack snow in winter)
dka...@ibm.net wrote:
> Doug Kanter
Dawn1204
Yes I agree arborvitae are not very good at all where you get snow. Thats one
of the reasons they are so cheap to buy. So if they get worse and you have to
replace them try some other kind of tree. Sorry
Les
Doug,
Tie the stems together with a piece of biodegradable rope in one or
two places. Don't use a stake in the middle. Leave the rope on until it
(the rope) breaks naturally, then tie it again.
Les
--
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dka...@ibm.net wrote in article <3561E2...@ibm.net>...
: I have 2 cigar-shaped arborvitae, about 9 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide.
Each
: plant has about 4-5 vertical "stems". They're about 4 years old.
Last
: winter, heavy snow caused these stems to splay outward, but by
mid-April
: (in Rochester NY), the had straightened themselves completely. All we
: did was gently brush off the snow.
:
: This year, they haven't straightened themselves, and they look like
: hell. I need some tips as to how to stake and/or tie them.
:
: They need to be pulled toward their centers. Although I have some
very
: tall metal posts, I'm concerned about damaging the roots if I use one
of
: these. On the other hand, if I tie the stems to one another, what
would
: I use that would not chafe the bark?
: Doug Kanter
:
dka...@ibm.net
Ken:
OK, makes sense. Any ideas for tall, cigar shaped shrubs which *DO* hold
up in the snow? We need an evergreen to hide our neighbor's hideous mess
behind this part of our border, at least until we can find a nice dark
night to compost the neighbor. :-)
Doug
Kay Cangemi wrote:
> You have hit one of the chronic problems with arborvitae - and why I don't
> want to have anything to do with them. After a really serious snowfall,
> they won't just bend, they'll break off, leaving nothing but a stump.
> They'll also develop bare spots where branches have been permanently bent
> away from the main tree. They really aren't good in places that get heavy
> snowfall.
Mark Duski
I used green, plastic-coated wire to wrap the entire plant up. That is, I
tied up the entire circumference of the shrubs about 1/3 and 2/3's up from
the ground. I left them tied for about 2 months. When I released the wires,
the shrubs looked great. Also, by using green wire, you could barley see the
wire. Good luck.
dka...@ibm.net wrote:
> I have 2 cigar-shaped arborvitae, about 9 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide. Each
> plant has about 4-5 vertical "stems". They're about 4 years old. Last
> winter, heavy snow caused these stems to splay outward, but by mid-April
> (in Rochester NY), the had straightened themselves completely. All we
> did was gently brush off the snow.
>
> This year, they haven't straightened themselves, and they look like
> hell. I need some tips as to how to stake and/or tie them.
>
> They need to be pulled toward their centers. Although I have some very
> tall metal posts, I'm concerned about damaging the roots if I use one of
> these. On the other hand, if I tie the stems to one another, what would
> I use that would not chafe the bark?
>
> Any other thoughts would be appreciated. I don't want to replace these