Trees – Straightening When Bent

Younger and smaller trees in landscape settings that are bent or leaning can be gently straightened by staking with a guy rope. Do not wrap wire padded by a water hose around the trunk. Nylon strap or cotton cloth more than one inch wide is the best material to go around a tree trunk. Mark the guy ropes or cables if near sidewalks, so they can be readily seen by pedestrians.

If the trunk has not been bent for an excessively long period of time, guyed stems should recover and assume a nearly vertical position again within a few weeks. For stems that have been bent for a long period, the guy ropes may need to stay in place until the end of the first growing season after the storm.