Most nursery-sold trees arrive staked, and most homeowners leave the stakes in indefinitely. Both habits are wrong. Stakes are a temporary tool to prevent toppling during establishment — not a long-term support structure — and leaving them in place past the first growing season causes more damage than removing them too early.
The research is consistent: trees that are staked too tightly, for too long, or with the wrong materials develop thinner trunks, weaker wood, and poor root anchorage compared to unstaked trees. Per Cornell Cooperative Extension, unnecessary staking is one of the most common causes of young tree mortality.
