Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is adjusting the strap on a staked tree so important?
A. If the strap around the young tree trunk isn't moved regularly, it will eventually
scrape through the bark of the tree and damage the cambium layer. Click here for a
photograph of a tree severely damaged by a strap that was never moved during the
critical first months.
Q. Why is that so important? What's cambium?
A. A tree's cambium is a single layer of cells lying between the wood and bark of the
stem or trunk. This layer of cells is where new bark and wood cells originate. If this
layer of cells is damaged, the tree will never recover.
Q. Don't all the other systems out there have a way to adjust the straps?
A. Sure, but the process is laborious and difficult. Straps are usually nailed to the
stake. The nail needs to be pulled, the strap needs to be re-positioned, and the strap
needs to be re-nailed into the wooden pole that's been pounded into the soil. It's not
easy to do! It takes time, tools, effort, and more than a little skill (try pounding a nail
into an upright wooden pole!). Using a Green Sleeve, you loosen the sleeve with a
single turn of the screw, reposition the strap and sleeve, and tighten the bolt. The
entire process takes only seconds.
Q. Why do I need to have a cross-beam? What function does it serve?
A. The stakes need to be stabilized so they don't collapse into the crown of the tree.
Usually this is done by nailing a piece of plywood between the wooden stakes. Over
time, as the wood dries, the nails work themselves free, the beam falls off, and the
stakes fall into the center of the tree, damaging or breaking branches, and rubbing
against the bark and harming the cambium. Click here for a photograph of a tree that
has been damaged by stakes collapsing. Cross beams keep the staking assembly
stable and secure. As the tree grows, the cross beam should be moved out of the way
of new branches, so the same technique we employ to move the straps is used to
move the cross beams - and the operation takes seconds instead of upwards of an
hour.
Q. We live in an arid and windy place, and prefer using steel stakes on our trees as
they provide better strength. Will Green Sleeves work with metal stakes?
A. Yes, Green Sleeves are designed to work with both 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" diameter steel
stakes, or wooden lodgepoles, whichever you prefer.
Q. I notice you can use either thumb nuts, hex bolts, or Allen screws for securing the
sleeve to the stake. Why the choice?
A. We offer 3 different ways to secure Green Sleeves to the stakes, depending on
where you are installing. Thumb nuts are obviously the easiest fastener, but should
only be used in low-crime areas (i.e., a private backyard), as they require no tools to
remove. The medium-security system is the hex bolt, and the most-secure method is
using Allen bolt. The hex and Allen bolts should be used in public spaces, parks,
boulevards, etc.
Q. What kind of strapping solution should I use?
A. There are several excellent products on the market for strapping a young tree to a
stake. Wonder Tree-tie ®, ArborTie ® and Cinch-tie ® are three of our favorites, and
like all devices for strapping trees to stakes, these products easily attach to the Green
Sleeve. Keep this in mind, though, as you secure your trees: it's of paramount
importance that the strapping mechanism allows the young tree to move around a bit -
this motion actually releases a hormone which produces a strong, flared trunk. If your
tree is immobilized by your stake and strap configuration, the tree will never grow
properly. Give it some room to wiggle!
A. If the strap around the young tree trunk isn't moved regularly, it will eventually
scrape through the bark of the tree and damage the cambium layer. Click here for a
photograph of a tree severely damaged by a strap that was never moved during the
critical first months.
Q. Why is that so important? What's cambium?
A. A tree's cambium is a single layer of cells lying between the wood and bark of the
stem or trunk. This layer of cells is where new bark and wood cells originate. If this
layer of cells is damaged, the tree will never recover.
Q. Don't all the other systems out there have a way to adjust the straps?
A. Sure, but the process is laborious and difficult. Straps are usually nailed to the
stake. The nail needs to be pulled, the strap needs to be re-positioned, and the strap
needs to be re-nailed into the wooden pole that's been pounded into the soil. It's not
easy to do! It takes time, tools, effort, and more than a little skill (try pounding a nail
into an upright wooden pole!). Using a Green Sleeve, you loosen the sleeve with a
single turn of the screw, reposition the strap and sleeve, and tighten the bolt. The
entire process takes only seconds.
Q. Why do I need to have a cross-beam? What function does it serve?
A. The stakes need to be stabilized so they don't collapse into the crown of the tree.
Usually this is done by nailing a piece of plywood between the wooden stakes. Over
time, as the wood dries, the nails work themselves free, the beam falls off, and the
stakes fall into the center of the tree, damaging or breaking branches, and rubbing
against the bark and harming the cambium. Click here for a photograph of a tree that
has been damaged by stakes collapsing. Cross beams keep the staking assembly
stable and secure. As the tree grows, the cross beam should be moved out of the way
of new branches, so the same technique we employ to move the straps is used to
move the cross beams - and the operation takes seconds instead of upwards of an
hour.
Q. We live in an arid and windy place, and prefer using steel stakes on our trees as
they provide better strength. Will Green Sleeves work with metal stakes?
A. Yes, Green Sleeves are designed to work with both 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" diameter steel
stakes, or wooden lodgepoles, whichever you prefer.
Q. I notice you can use either thumb nuts, hex bolts, or Allen screws for securing the
sleeve to the stake. Why the choice?
A. We offer 3 different ways to secure Green Sleeves to the stakes, depending on
where you are installing. Thumb nuts are obviously the easiest fastener, but should
only be used in low-crime areas (i.e., a private backyard), as they require no tools to
remove. The medium-security system is the hex bolt, and the most-secure method is
using Allen bolt. The hex and Allen bolts should be used in public spaces, parks,
boulevards, etc.
Q. What kind of strapping solution should I use?
A. There are several excellent products on the market for strapping a young tree to a
stake. Wonder Tree-tie ®, ArborTie ® and Cinch-tie ® are three of our favorites, and
like all devices for strapping trees to stakes, these products easily attach to the Green
Sleeve. Keep this in mind, though, as you secure your trees: it's of paramount
importance that the strapping mechanism allows the young tree to move around a bit -
this motion actually releases a hormone which produces a strong, flared trunk. If your
tree is immobilized by your stake and strap configuration, the tree will never grow
properly. Give it some room to wiggle!
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