Keeping tree tubes from rotating on seedlings

[Skinner]

The most cost effective stake I have found is a 10' 1/2" conduit cut in half.

The issue I'm having is that the no matter how tight I pull the zip ties the tubes have a tendency to rotate in the wind, until they either get stuck on the seedling trunk or, if the tree is small enough, will rotate 180 scraping the seedling bark pretty good and leaving the seedling exposed outside the tube.

Trying to think of inexpensive ways to stop this. I am wondering if there is some kind of UV resistant grippy tape I can wrap around where the lowest zip tie goes to give more friction.

Has anyone else had this problem or a quick/cheap solution?

 

[homerj]

Stick them in the ground an inch or two?

 

[scott44]

Stick them in the ground an inch or two?

I do this also I did it more to keep the voles and mice out of the tubes but apparently it helps keep them from spinning because I don't remember ever having trouble.

 

[buckdeer1]

I had that issue when using conduit,I just took duck tape and wrapped a couple times around after tapping down on the top a couple times

 

[Freeborn]

I used landscape staples and pin the far edge to the ground.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I get mulch from the utility company and put a bit of mulch around tubes. Really helps with weed suppression and over all tree health.

 

[Skinner]

Thanks for the ideas. My trees all either have a square of landscape fabric with mulch on top, or just mulch. So some amount of mulch is piled up around the tube, but it's not enough to hold the tubes in place. I think that of 40-50 tree tubes so far, every single one is either stopped by the tree or has spun around.

I have thought about drilling a small hole in the tube and pinning it with wire, and I also like the duct tape idea. I think I'll try both. I have been using rebar tie wire to hold down the landscape fabric to save money, so that's what i'll use to hold the tube in place.

I was just out there, during this January "heat wave" 55F but very windy. One of my pencil thick chestnuts couldn't stop the tube, and the trunk is pretty jacked up on the one side.

This is definitely one issue I wasn't expecting from using conduit. But what I really like about the conduit (aside from cost) is that it bends with the wind, hopefully helping trunk development, and that they will never rot and will be reusable for decades.

 

[Tree Spud]

Buy square 1" oak stakes. 5' ones are about $2 each.

 

[Skinner]

Yeah, I might end up having to switch to wood.

I just tried some duct tape on a bunch and a couple i tried drilling a hole in the tube and running wire through it.

Not that optimistic, a couple paw paws i transplanting the fall were ripped out of the ground by the tube. Some of my bigger 1 year old chestnuts with decent caliper were bent over by the tubes and scraped pretty deep. Definitely going to be a fair amount of mortality from this. Also in cases where the tube was deeper in the ground, they basically are moving back and forth to create a little pond for the tree, also not great.

I'm just glad I'm finding this out now before I plant at least 500 trees in tubes next year.

 

[willy]

I used metal electric fence posts and pushed into the ground to the top of the foot platform one pushes on to get post in the ground. Then use the zip ties that came with the tubes and zipped them tight to the post and never had the problem you describe. I used over 500 tubes this way. I then reused and cut them in half(they were 5') and used only one zip tie. Works the same way. I used them on oak, fruit, including paw paws trees. The only issue I had with the tubes is the nests that sometime a mouse would make in them, one just had to check on them prior to winter.

I now use some of those tree tubes that I cut in half and slit them length wise and then roll them up fairly tightly on the seedling trunks, push them into the ground and walk away. They are in protected cages from deer but I have had no rabbit or rodent damage on any I have done this too. I'm still using tubes I bought 10 years ago. They have held up well. I don't recollect the brand but I did buy them from a guy that Lickcreek recommended. Thanks Lickcreek!

 

[Skinner]

I think I have a couple of those electric fence type posts. I probably think about it too much, but it seemed like in 7 years when I got to pull the stake back out, it might do a lot of damage.

I feel like even some kind of rubber that could be wrapped around the conduit and then zip tied over would be enough friction to hold things in place.

But ultimately if I have to spend an extra 1-2$ a stake I will do that. Seeing a 3 year old paw paw ripped out of the ground is not a good feeling. Those things grow so slow.

 

[Skinner]

Well I should have asked my wife for ideas earlier.

We have some leftover elastomeric butyl rubber tape. This is used for sealing trim on metal roofing.

I wrapped a piece around the conduit where the bottom zip tie overlaps and pulled it tight.

 

[Cap'n]

My tubes came with holes drilled through and good thick zip ties. I use irrigation pipe and put it on the down wind side of the tube. Our prevailing winds are from the S-SW so that’s where I put the stake. Then I use aluminum fence wire to wire the top of the tube to the stake. That set up has survived several 50 mph winds, the tube is also stuck down in the ground.