My prevailing winds are Southerly and Northeastern. Two of my apple trees that are ten years old are bending to the northeast. I would like to have them straightened. I have pegs, wire and straps, but are those used to best straighten out my trees? I would like to support them before winter sets in and the winter winds and storms begin. Any suggestions? I keep my trees not taller than ten feet tall.
I had some trees tip clear over in our sand from a wind storm. After restanding them up, we used cord through garden hose around the trunks and tied to posts so it wouldn’t cut into the bark. If they won’t pull upright fairly easily, pull them enough to not hurt them and then gradually tighten it as time goes on. One time I had heard that one should weigh down some branches to horizontal to help them bear sooner. I used jugs of water tied to ropes from the branches. It caused the tree to grow at 45 degrees. Bad idea. Then the rabbits got the low branches and it was hard to keep rodent wire around the trunk.
MrsG
I would leave any attempt to straigthen them for the spring. I would use staps with a “come-along” to, slowly over the season, winch them up just the way braces do for teeth.
For the winter I would use strapping and anchors supporting/pulling against the direction of the winds.
Mike
Thank you both Northwoodswis4 and MES. I’ll probably go with the straps for stabilization this winter so they will not get worse and then work on them in spring. Thanks so much!