How I fixed a leaning pine after heavy winds

Last month, a big pine in my yard started leaning bad after a storm. I tried staking it straight, but it kept sagging. Then I saw online that loosening the soil around the roots helps it settle. Did that, and now it's standing tall again. What do you all do for trees that lean like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

walker.thomas1mo ago

Spring storms here required the same fix for my pine...

jenny_young1mo ago

Years back, I was sure staking trees tightly was the only way to save them after storms. Then I saw a neighbor's pine snap from being too rigid. @walker.thomas mentioning spring storms made me rethink that approach. My own pine now gets loose stakes with rubber ties, letting it sway a bit. That flexibility actually helped it anchor better in the wind last fall. Sometimes letting nature do its thing works out.

hannah3311mo ago

Loosening the soil can weaken the root hold, in my experience. Walker.thomas had a good outcome, but I've seen that method fail on sandy ground. I drive in deep stakes with rubber ties, letting the tree move slightly to strengthen. Disturbing the roots often does more harm than good.