Tree Stakes

[Mitch]

When I plant a tree, I use a 5' tree tube, landscape fabric for weeds, and a t post to keep the tube steady on windy days. BUT, my t-post supply has dwindled. I read somewhere where guy ripped a 2X4 into 3rds and used those for his stakes. Anyone else have cheap suggestions? I bought some long stakes from Home Depot and used those last weekend, they are okay, but I don't want to have to buy those from Home Depot.

Anyone have other suggestions?

 

[catscratch]

I've done a lot of stakes with pressure treated decking boards. Take an 8 foot 1x6, cut it in half to make two 4 footers, then rip those into 6 strips each. This makes 12x four foot pressure treated stakes for a few dollars.

I also like electric fence posts. They can be had on sale for $1 each and can be stepped in instead of hammered in.

 

[snowracerh]

Gray electical conduit cut in half. Ive heard to let the tube amd stake flex with the wind. This is how a young tree typically develops and ensures the stem isnt as spindly.

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[Keith Nehrke]

It's funny, I've heard the same thing about conduit and I use it quite a bit, but my 5' Combitubes are pretty stiff, and I just don't see them flexing anywhere except maybe just a little bit at the base, and that would take a gale. So I'm skeptical, but as always willing to be convinced.

 

[Turkey Creek]

1/2" metal conduit. Price is gone up over the years used to be able to get it for a $1.50 for a 10' section now I think it is in the upper $2 range.

 

[KDdid]

5’ of 1” plastic conduit has been working for me. Pour a small handful of triple 10 down the stake, and every time it rains you get a shot of fertilizer into the soil about 12” underground, near the roots.


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[Fishman]

If you really want cheap stakes, go dumpster diving. I have found quite a few pieces of PVC, conduit, and rebar in construction dumpsters. Usually they throw away pieces that are in the 5-6 foot length range since they cannot use them for anything. My local lumberyard also sells 3/8" rebar in 20 foot lengths for less than $3.

 

[catscratch]

5’ of 1” plastic conduit has been working for me. Pour a small handful of triple 10 down the stake, and every time it rains you get a shot of fertilizer into the soil about 12” underground, near the roots.


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I like this idea. Small diameter probably meters it out nicely...

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[1yellowdog]

I second using the 1" plastic conduit. Always buy grey outdoor use conduit. I have bought cheap white and after a year in the sun and cold winters it because brittle. I have had conduit shatter when driving back in ground.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

I use the grey conduit on all my 5ft combitubes

 

[weekender21]

schedule 40 PVC stakes work great

 

[Nebraskaz71]

I say that till this morning I woke up and looked out to tree tubes flat, pvc filled with water like they do but for whatever reason last night when it froze it cracked several of the pvcs into pieces

 

[weekender21]

How old are they?


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[Nebraskaz71]

i believe those were 3 yrs old

 

[weekender21]

I can definitely see them breaking down in 3 years. The schedule 40 PVC is pretty thick but you have pretty drastic temperature swings in Nebraska.

They lasted about 2 years longer than the wood stakes!


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[THE LLC]

Rebar. Wood of any kind is a waste of time.

 

[Rickey]

I use 1/2 PVC schedule 40.