iowathumper
Active Member
I thought I would pass on my experience with using tree tubes on bottom ground near a river that will flood.><O
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The <ST1Iowa River</ST1 goes through my property and you can usually count on the river flooding at least once every year most of time due to snow melt but, on occasion a lot of rain like this year.<O></O>
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I planted 300 3-4 ft tall Bur oak, Swamp white oak, pin oak, trees using a combination of 5 Ft ½” PVC and ½” EMT & Bamboo for stakes and 5 ft tree tubes.<O></O>
I drilled all the holes with a one man 9” earth auger. These were planted in spring 2011<O></O>
I kept the area between the trees mowed and used roundup around each tree every year.<O</O
<O</O
We got lucky and the river did not flood in 2011 a little in 2012 maybe ½ ft 2013 was a disaster you can see the river height on the trees up to 6 ft in places.
<O</OSo here is what I learned.<O></O>
<O> </O>
None of the stakes held up very well. The Bamboo stakes broke off at the bottom some hung on the tree due to tree already out the top of tube and would not come off due to branches, the PVC stakes bent over at the bottom and are not reusable, the trees stayed in that position till I came to rescue them, the EMT stakes bent over at the bottom as well, both of these type did keep the tube on for 75% of the trees, the rest floated down the river some where.<O></O>
<O> </O>
I did not get down last fall to remove the leaves from any of the tubes last year. So what I think happens is when the river starts to come up the tubes stakes bend over and the sediment from the river fills the tubes up, getting caught in the leaves, weight down tree tube, and then the water starts to dig out around the base of the tree 2-4” deep which then tilts the tree at a 45 degree angle. A big mess now!<O></O>
<O> </O>
I also had some 18” tall trees I planted with 5 ft tubes and above stakes, the same thing happen with them. Except the tube just bent over in the middle like a upside down “V” by collecting the sediment from the river.<O></O>
<O> </O>
The last thing I learned is even though the tubes helped the tree grow at a faster pace then normal, (A good thing) and they kept the deer from rubbing them (Was my biggest fear), once the tube is removed the trees have NO BACKBONE at all, they literally can not stand up on there own.<O></O>
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If, I had to do this project over again.<O></O>
<O> </O>
I would plant the trees without tubes, and use a stake to mark each tree, and keep the area around each tree sprayed.<O></O>
<O> </O>
I am in the process of mowing the area now so I can work on the trees, my plan is to remove all tubes from the trees that can stand up on there own, the ones that can not I will re-tube, and stake after every flood.<O></O>
></O><O
></O>The <ST1
Iowa River</ST1 goes through my property and you can usually count on the river flooding at least once every year most of time due to snow melt but, on occasion a lot of rain like this year.<O></O><O
></O>I planted 300 3-4 ft tall Bur oak, Swamp white oak, pin oak, trees using a combination of 5 Ft ½” PVC and ½” EMT & Bamboo for stakes and 5 ft tree tubes.<O
></O>I drilled all the holes with a one man 9” earth auger. These were planted in spring 2011<O
></O>I kept the area between the trees mowed and used roundup around each tree every year.<O
</O<O
</OWe got lucky and the river did not flood in 2011 a little in 2012 maybe ½ ft 2013 was a disaster you can see the river height on the trees up to 6 ft in places.
<O
</OSo here is what I learned.<O></O><O
> </O>None of the stakes held up very well. The Bamboo stakes broke off at the bottom some hung on the tree due to tree already out the top of tube and would not come off due to branches, the PVC stakes bent over at the bottom and are not reusable, the trees stayed in that position till I came to rescue them, the EMT stakes bent over at the bottom as well, both of these type did keep the tube on for 75% of the trees, the rest floated down the river some where.<O
></O><O
> </O>I did not get down last fall to remove the leaves from any of the tubes last year. So what I think happens is when the river starts to come up the tubes stakes bend over and the sediment from the river fills the tubes up, getting caught in the leaves, weight down tree tube, and then the water starts to dig out around the base of the tree 2-4” deep which then tilts the tree at a 45 degree angle. A big mess now!<O
></O><O
> </O>I also had some 18” tall trees I planted with 5 ft tubes and above stakes, the same thing happen with them. Except the tube just bent over in the middle like a upside down “V” by collecting the sediment from the river.<O
></O><O
> </O>The last thing I learned is even though the tubes helped the tree grow at a faster pace then normal, (A good thing) and they kept the deer from rubbing them (Was my biggest fear), once the tube is removed the trees have NO BACKBONE at all, they literally can not stand up on there own.<O
></O><O
> </O>If, I had to do this project over again.<O
></O><O
> </O>I would plant the trees without tubes, and use a stake to mark each tree, and keep the area around each tree sprayed.<O
></O><O
> </O>I am in the process of mowing the area now so I can work on the trees, my plan is to remove all tubes from the trees that can stand up on there own, the ones that can not I will re-tube, and stake after every flood.<O
></O>
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