Supporting with ropes
Supporting trees with any kind of cable or
rope needs a lot of space and can create
pitfalls. They are totally unacceptable in
pedestrian areas
Static anchorage
There are anchorage systems on the market
which use steel cables and ground anchors
made of an aluminum wedge. The system
is installed by hammering it into the earth
with a peg, then fastening it with a ratchet to
tighten the cable. Using this type of system
the tree is stiff and rigidly anchored as if they were supported by
stakes. Naturally this has the same disadvantages. This system
also has the problem that if the trees stem thickness increases, it
tightens the cables which then depress the cambiums, resulting in
grooving, especially if the fastening is done by a sling.
Dynamic anchorage
The advantage of this type of anchorage is its
suitability for the natural growth of the tree.
The tree can sway freely and grow strong.
However systems with screw in anchors
require exact placing and adjustment. To
install the anchors you must operate outside
the planting hole, which can cause problems
when setting because of obstruction by
stones.
There are other systems which use shock
absorbers or soft synthetic ropes. These are
rather problematic because of the synthetic
materials and its vulnerability to vandalism. A knife or pocket lighter
is enough to severely damage the support and consequently the
tree. The relative movement of the bale within the planting hole is
not completely eliminated. On lawns, there is also the possibility of
damage my mowers
by a circular knife which results in a spherical bale. The bale is
immediately covered with a jute bale cloth, which is secured
in wire netting. In its new planting hole, it would obviously
stand like a ball in a socket. A sphere has no resistance to
turning, so this has to be prevented in its new location. Some
trees naturally grow tap roots; therefore it makes common
sense to employ this principle when replanting trees.
A new system has been developed taking into account
this principle. Arbofix was first introduced at the GaLaBau
exhibition in Nürnburg Germany, and was immediately
awarded the coveted award for innovation. It is produced
in four sizes to accommodate different diameters of stem.
Arbofix is fitted with only 3 blows of a mallet through the
central ring of the wire netting. The system works well with
densely rooted bales without damaging the roots.
The practical proof of this system was demonstrated after
hurricane Kyrill which occurred on 18th January 2007 Twenty
one newly planted acer plantenoids with stems of 18cm
– 20cm had been planted in a relatively light substratum
using the Arbofix securing system. The planting site was
not completed, and the trees were standing on steep
sided molehills made of the substratum. The trees were
not supported on the sides by the planting holes. Despite
the severe hurricane force winds, no tree was unearthed
or even pushed over. The planting site was an unprotected
high plateau in the black forest. Several other healthy trees
which had been planted on the same site with other systems
overturned or were badly damaged. This clearly showed the
benefits of the Arborfix system.
Underground
securing
All underground securing
systems avoid any visual
interference and are aesthetically
more pleasing. The trees can
grow unmolested, because
there is no interference to the
natural sway and therefore with
the hormonal interdependency,
allowing the tree to develop to its
optimum potential.
Bale pressing using
aluminum earth anchors
and tensioning ropes
By using polyester slings and
aluminum anchors, non rotting
materials are inserted into the
ground, which is not really
satisfactory. With this type of system, attention also has to be paid to the
possible compression of the roots. Uninterrupted root growth can only
happen where there is no sling, consequently, after the tree’s roots have
struck, the polyester slings and ropes must be taken out and disposed of.
Bale pressing using wood
This system has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that
the system uses force on the bales by pressing them which is not good for
root growth. The advantage is that the wood will totally decay. However, this
takes longer than it takes for the tree to be standing securely.
Bale interlocking
This systems development started with consideration right from the start
of the extraction of the tree at the nursery. The tree is taken from ground
Overview of plant securing systems
Commercial landscape gardening companies work in a very
competitive market place. Contracts are won and lost on
price alone leaving narrow m \