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mownie

How to straighten a bent tree?

mownie
9 years ago

On some property we recently visited, there is a Cherry tree that appears it might have been "run down" by a lawn tractor (wheel) or something some time past. The tree is now around 5 feet tall.
Is there any way to safely (for the tree) straighten the tree to a vertical orientation so that it does not develop/mature with a leaning stature?
My thoughts are to drive a sturdy T-post about 3 feet away from the tree's base and place 3 nylon (or other) strap loops around the tree trunk at a spacing of maybe 3" to 4" between the straps.
Then I would use some bungee cords to connect the straps to the T-post. At first I would use rather long bungees, but as the tree becomes more vertical, I would switch to shorter bungees until the tree was upright.
I also figured wetting the soil around the tree might help keep tension on the roots from damaging them.
Do Cherry trees have a significant tap root? Or do their roots spread out near the surface?
Is this a good plan of action to take?

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