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Leaning Amalanchier

MoobloonMoobloon Posts: 24
in Problem solving

My gorgeous Amalanchier tree leans to one side. It has sun on all sides and was staked until a year ago (it was already leaning then).

I planted it 5 years ago as the start point for my new garden layout. The garden is now nearing completion and, because of other "hard landscape" uprights in the garden it looks even worse.

My main concern, though, isn't how it looks but what will happen to it as its trunk and branches thicken and foliage increases. I fear it could snap!

Is there a method to straighten my tree please?

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Posts

  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543

    Do you have a photo so we can see what you mean please? image

    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    I have the same problem :(

  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Can anyone advise? Its leaning to the right (north-west) from the top


  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    I would stake it again with a proper sturdy tree stake (about inch and a half square) about 5 ft high (above the ground) and use a proper tree tie. You can then tighten the tie every few months or so depending on how soft your ground is, so eventually the main bit of the trunk is vertical. It looks as though it just has a bamboo cane as a stake which is not useful for trees. 
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Thank you hogweed - I will try that! I did think it was weird to have that cane thing there, it was there when I moved in.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    edited September 2018
    The cane was probably in the pot it came in - you see that a lot.  Those are only really for while they are on display and in transit.  Get an oak tree stake if you can - they last a lot longer than most other types and age well. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • ZeroZero1ZeroZero1 Posts: 577
    Another solution is to rope it to a nearby fence - if the fence is strong enough
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Thank you BobTheGardener - Will have a look.  

    Thanks Zero - we have a very wobbly fence near it, but none on the side it needs tying to in order to get it growing in the right direction.
  • sabeehasabeeha Posts: 344
    Image result for how to stake a leaning tree

    I just saw this online 

    Is this typical of how deep it should be?

    Is this suited for a person to try themselves? I presume you have to hammer it into the ground somehow, and not dig a hole for the stake... I probably don't have all the tools for the job... and won't it damage the roots?
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,573
    That looks very deep - perhaps it's for planting a large pot-grown tree.
    I think it would be a two-person job to get a thick, long stake hammered in straight - one to hold it in position and one to wield the hammer (well it would be if one of them was me!). If the ground is quite soft and not stony, you might be able to push it in a small amount of the way before hammering.  It will damage a small area of roots but if the stake has a sharp point it would probably go between the main roots - you'd be unlucky to get a direct hit.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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