Tree Staking for Garden Trees in Japan
Staking a Multistemmed Tree the Japanese Way
Tree staking in Japan is an essential practice for ensuring the stability of newly planted garden trees. This method is especially important for multi-stemmed trees, which are common in Japanese gardens. While a similar approach is used for single-stemmed garden trees, street trees often require a different technique.
In Japan, newly planted trees need extra support for several reasons. The soil is typically very loamy, and after heavy rain it offers little stability. A root ball can sit in the planting hole like a bone in a joint, making it easy for the tree to topple. Since there is usually no ground preparation before planting, it may take years for the roots to anchor firmly. In addition, strong winds are a challenge. Winter and spring winds can be severe, but typhoon season in late summer poses the greatest threat. Without proper staking, trees could be blown over.
The most common method uses three long culms of Madake bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) with a diameter of about 5 cm. The length of each culm depends on the tree’s height. They should not extend noticeably above the tree, but they must be long enough to drive deep into the ground and still allow for the binding steps.
First, cut about 30 cm from the thicker end of each culm, above a node, to create a flat edge. Arrange the three long pieces into a tripod, ensuring two crossing points on each culm — one for binding to the tree and one for binding to another culm.
Next, position the 30 cm cut pieces at an obtuse angle to a culm in the ground. Secure them with a nail and bind with wire. The wire not only hides the nail but also increases stability. It is wrapped around both bamboo pieces and fixed in the middle.
To bind the tree to the bamboo, use Shuronawa rope and finish with an Otoko-musubi knot. When joining the long culms to each other, nails and wire are again used.
This double binding technique — culm to culm and culm to tree — provides the stability needed for trees to survive Japan’s demanding weather and soil conditions.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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