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Tree tubes and T posts

Thinkin Rut

PMA Member
Has anyone had any adverse effects on the root system pulling out T posts after your trees have broken out of the tubes or would a lesser stake work better?
 
I prefer T-post but only pound them into the ground as far as the T, don't put the T below the dirt so a root can't grow over it. I haven't had any issues, pulled probably 100 T-post off trees that were large enough to support themselves, none died so far!

I prefer a T-post over a round conduit pipe because once those trees get 6-9' tall and have a big canopy of leaves but aren't able to support themselves. That first storm rolls in with strong winds and the zip ties, tree tubes, and steaks have a lot of pressure to support without breaking. Gets harder as the tree gets bigger and sun breaks down the zip ties and tubes. A round conduit pipe never seems to be enough to support them, the trees always get leaned over it seems. Even happens with T-post but not nearly as often, at least in my experience.
 
I've had a few issues with the conduit bending over. But I have had way more issues with tree tube failure. Zip ties breaking , tubes deteriorating.
I have thought that the conduit allows the tree to move a little more therefore gives a stronger trunk. Walnut black cherry and oak have all done very well.

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I prefer T-post but only pound them into the ground as far as the T, don't put the T below the dirt so a root can't grow over it. I haven't had any issues, pulled probably 100 T-post off trees that were large enough to support themselves, none died so far!

I prefer a T-post over a round conduit pipe because once those trees get 6-9' tall and have a big canopy of leaves but aren't able to support themselves. That first storm rolls in with strong winds and the zip ties, tree tubes, and steaks have a lot of pressure to support without breaking. Gets harder as the tree gets bigger and sun breaks down the zip ties and tubes. A round conduit pipe never seems to be enough to support them, the trees always get leaned over it seems. Even happens with T-post but not nearly as often, at least in my experience.
You must have too good of soil where you are at in the loess hills , trees are growing too fast if that's possible. Haha
If on a smaller scale I probably would have used t post also. Conduit was way cheaper to do 500 trees.
I saved my t-post for apple trees cages.

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Def want to find used Tpost for $1-2. New are expensive! Here’s some 8yr old red oaks, pulled the post probably 3-4 years ago. They’re starting to split the bottom of the miracle tubes open!

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Here’s a three year old sugar maple, these ones have gotten much more attention beings they’re in the backyard and not at the farm

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If I were to use conduit I’d consider putting the conduit inside the tube, that takes the stress off the zip tie or tube itself for when the tree gets bigger. Always seems zip ties are breaking or being torn away from tubes


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Loess, do you use 2 t posts per tube, That's what I think I see in the above pic?
 
I do not normally, when I snapped the above pics I was in the process of removing the original single post and putting two post and support rope on each tree. I normally don’t do this but with the ones in my yard I baby more. I get a lot of wind in my yard and the big canopy on these trees was like sail in the summer, tubes were always getting torn away from the single tpost. I also didn't want trees to snap off if their back bone wasn't strong enough to handle a strong wind, I had that happen to one last year. So I did this:
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Yes that looks like a good solution to that problem. I bet the wind blows there with it being so open.

Do you check all the tubes in the spring for mouse nests/girdle issues or do they seem like they stay free of those issues?
 
Do you check all the tubes in the spring for mouse nests/girdle issues or do they seem like they stay free of those issues?

Always a problem - gotta check em as often during the years as possible. Ideally a guy would be able to check them at least monthly... what I've done is check em maybe once a year unfortunately. I've loss a few trees to mice but what do you do.

Funny side stories - often I'll find tubes shredded from coons or other predators trying to get to the mice inside. One time during the fall I made a quick check after bowhunting for mice in tubes. Noticed one tube had a huge dark black mess inside the tube, the tell tale sign of a mice nest. Except this time it was different... the black blob was frozen solid... I had to cut the tube open and found a young possum had climbed his way up the tpost, down the tube head first and was stuck at the bottom trying to get a mice lunch and died there.

Tree tubes (or cages) are a must when planting trees but they definitely aren't a simple solution, they require years of care and upkeep, all well worth it though!!
 
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