---
title: Tree Staking and Guying: Temporary Support for Trees
url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/tree-staking-and-guying/
business: Battle Born Tree Service
address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701
phone: 775.232.8243
hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service
credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured
type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood)
---

- [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/)
- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- Tree staking and guying

# What is tree staking and guying?

Tree staking and guying are ways of holding a tree upright with posts, or with straps and cables anchored in the ground, while its roots take hold or until a lean is corrected. They are temporary supports, not a repair for a tree that is failing.

## What each one is

Staking uses one or two posts beside a young trunk with flexible ties. Guying uses cables or ropes anchored to the ground, for larger trees. Both are meant to let the trunk flex a little, because a tree that moves in the wind builds stronger wood.

Ties left on too long can girdle the trunk, and a stake that rubs the bark wounds it. Supports are normally taken off after the first growing season or two.

## Why it matters in Northern Nevada

Washoe Zephyr and downslope winds can topple a newly planted tree on loose soil, and wind-leaned young trees are a regular sight. A mature tree that has tilted with lifted soil is a different case: a new lean in a big tree is often a root failure (see [root plate](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/root-plate/) and [windthrow](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/windthrow/)), and a stake will not hold it. See [a tree leaning toward the house](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-leaning-toward-house/).

## What an arborist does about it

For a tree that has just been planted, supports are a matter for the nursery or landscaper; Battle Born does not plant trees. If a tree is leaning, the arborist looks for lifted soil, cracks and decay and says whether the tree is safe to keep standing. A large mature tree with a weak union may be a candidate for cabling instead. See [cabling and bracing](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/cabling-bracing/).

Check any supports on a young tree once or twice a year. Ties that have cut into the bark, stakes that rub, or a tree that leans despite the support are signs to loosen, remove or call for an assessment.

As a rule of thumb from the planting guidance, supports stay up no longer than the tree needs them, usually through one to two growing seasons for a young tree.

### Sources

- [International Society of Arboriculture, Trees Are Good: New Tree Planting (brochure)](https://www.treesaregood.org/Portals/0/siteContent/pdf/Web%20TAG%20brochures/TAG_CBweb_New%20Tree%20Planting_v3.pdf) (read October 17, 2026)

### Talk to the office

[775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243)

| Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered |

Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service.

[Free estimate](#quote)

### Keep reading

- [Arborist glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/)
- [Tree leaning toward the house: what to check](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-leaning-toward-house/)
- [Tree cabling and bracing](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/cabling-bracing/)
- [Cabling and bracing: when it saves a tree](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/tree-cabling-bracing-explained/)

## See also

[Reaction wood](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/reaction-wood/) [Windthrow](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/windthrow/) [Root plate](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/root-plate/)