Landscape Lesson 2 and 3 Final

Name: ________________________________________ Section: _______________________
INFORMATION SHEET: INSTALL PLANT SUPPORT
LO 2. Install plant guy or guying

Learning Objectives: After reading this information sheet, the learners independently establishes
plant support by installing stake, plant guy and plant props according to landscape specifications,
instructions or detailed drawing.
Staking and Guying Trees In The Landscape

Introduction:
Staking and guying systems are alike in most ways. Both provide temporary, external
support to trees that are not stable enough to grow without excessive bending, partially or fully
tipping over, or being vulnerable to unintentional vandalism. Instability may be due to a tree that
has grown too fast and too tall and cannot remain upright without temporary support, a greatly
reduced root system (think newly planted trees), trees that have been partially tipped during a
violent wind and rain-loading event (think hurricane, straight-line windstorm), or trees in high
traffic areas (think trees in playgrounds, near commercial areas, or near sidewalks).
Most of the time, newly planted trees do not require support
systems. Both staking and guying systems are meant to be dynamic
and temporary systems, systems that move with the tree’s normal
movement in winds without allowing the tree to tip, In most cases,
support systems should be removed after the first growing season or
one year after installation.
Staking Versus Guying

The major differences between staking and guying systems include
1) where the attachments to the tree trunks are placed,
2) the height and placement of the anchorage stakes, and
3) sometimes, the interface (aka, connection) materials
Guying is usually used for stabilizing transplanted trees with larger

diameters, 4 inches or larger.
Guying anchors are usually shorter and stronger, since they are
driven deep into the ground and exposed only a few inches above the soil
surface.
Materials for Guying

1. Stout wooden stakes 3. Duck-billed
(at least 3 inches by 3 soil anchors
inches by 24 inches)
2. Reinforcing rods
(minimum of 5/8
inches in diameter)
Installing guys and stakes

1. Stout wooden stakes
 For guying straightened, wind thrown trees, use
three stakes or anchors, equally spaced around
the tree with one placed upwind from the prevail-
ing winds.
 Never place guying anchors outside of the

mulched planting bed because this can become a
safety hazard to people walking by or playing
near the trees.
2. Duck-billed soil anchors
 The anchor body is
driven into the soil
with a re-useable
drive steel (drive rod).
 Once the anchor body

is placed to the proper depth the
drive steel is removed.
 A backward pull on the cable then rotates the anchor body in

the ground until it is perpendicular to the cable.
3. Reinforcing rods
In attaching guy rods to guy wires, you need D-shackle 10 mm (0.39 in) A4 (3 pcs).
 Locate guyings 2 and 3 which are on the same side as the hinge
of the mast base.
In the Northern Hemisphere, they are on the west side (W) of the
mast foundation.
In the Southern Hemisphere, they are on the east side (E) of the
mast foundation.
 Attach the guy rods of guyings 2 and 3 to the guy wires with the
shackle.
1 D-shackle 10 mm (0.39 in) A4 (3 pcs)
2. Guy wire with thimble (3 pcs)
 To eliminate excess slack, tighten guyings 2 and 3.
 This prevents the mast from tilting over.
At this point, the mast is not raised. The guy wire length from the wedge on the guying foun-
dation to the shackle is approximately 1 to 1.5 m (3 ft 4 in to 4 ft 11 in), depending on the distance
from the guy wire foundation to the mast base (5 to 6 m / 16 ft 5 in to 19 ft 8 in).
 After you have erected the mast, adjust the guyings to their proper length and tightness.
Warnings
 WARNING Do not stand under the mast when it is being raised

or lowered.
 Wear protective eyewear, gloves, safety helmet, and safety
shoes.
 To protect your hands, always wear gloves when handling the
guy wires.
 WARNING Disconnected guy wires may present a safety hazard. Make sure your clothing and
equipment do not get tangled in the wires.
 Do not go near the plants with guys’ support to avoid hazards and accident.
PPE, tools and Equipment used in Guying

 Gloves as personal protective equipment - Always wear
neoprene or nitrile rubber gloves.
 Spray overalls as personal protective equipment -
Always use a liquid-tight spray overall with an elastic
band in the cuffs and trouser legs, a hood and a flap at
the zippers.
 Masks as personal protective equipment - have good
eye protection.
 Boots as personal protective equipment
The best order to put the personal protective equipment on:
first the gloves, then the overall and hood, rubber boots,
mask and filter and any eye protection. Take it off in the
reverse order, so first the eye protection, then the mask and the filter, boots, overall and gloves.
After use, close the filter again with plugs, then note the service life on the filter and dismantle the
spray mask.
INFORMATION SHEET: INSTALL PLANT SUPPORT
LO 3. Install plant prop/bracing or propping bracing
Learning Objectives: After reading this information sheet, the learners independently establishes
plant support by installing stake, plant guy and plant props according to landscape specifications,
instructions or detailed drawing.
Introduction
Arborists are often called upon to assess and work toward

resolution of structural defects in trees. It is often not possible to
completely eliminate these defects, but there is a variety of strategies
available to mitigate risk posed by them.
Braces
Braces work in much the same way that cables do – they provide support
by pulling a branch or stem in the desired direction. However, braces are
rigid, rather than flexible like cables are. Typically, this means braces are
used to support the bases of large, co-dominant stems (“twin-trunked”
trees).
To install a brace, an arborist will first drill through both

trunks or stems. Then, a steel rod is passed through the
holes and secured in place with nuts on both sides. Multiple braces may be
necessary in some cases, especially if both trunks are very large. Although
braces provide a great deal of strength, they provide an entry point for decay, so
they shouldn’t be used unless necessary.
Prop
Props are perhaps the simplest type of tree support
system, and they’ve undoubtedly been used by enterprising
individuals for hundreds of years. Designed to “prop up” branches
that are in danger of failing, props can be engineered from almost
anything rigid and strong enough for the task at hand. This
includes masonry walls, metal poles or wooden posts, among
other things.
Props are most commonly used to support limbs that are still
healthy and desirable, yet lack good structure or feature a weak
attachment point. This commonly occurs in mature trees, whose
lowest branches are very long and therefore heavy.
Eventually, these limbs will fail, but with proper support,

they may last for several more decades than they otherwise would.
Props can also be used to support the trunks of leaning trunks too. However, because of the
incredible weights involved with large trees, this is only realistic with relatively modest-sized trees.
References:
 Gary Johnson, Tracy Few, Eric North, 2021, Staking and Guying Trees In The Landscape,
University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources
 By Trav's Tree Services, July 30, 2017
 Gary R. Johnson, Extension forestry specialist and associate professor of urban and
community forestry and Tracy Few, researcher, University of Minnesota Department of Forest
Resources, 2020

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Name: __________________ Section: _

INFORMATION SHEET: INSTALL PLANT SUPPORT

LO 2. Install plant guy or guying

Staking and Guying Trees In The Landscape

Staking Versus Guying

Guying is usually used for stabilizing transplanted trees with larger

Materials for Guying

Installing guys and stakes

 Never place guying anchors outside of the

 Once the anchor body

 A backward pull on the cable then rotates the anchor body in

 WARNING Do not stand under the mast when it is being raised

PPE, tools and Equipment used in Guying

INFORMATION SHEET: INSTALL PLANT SUPPORT

LO 3. Install plant prop/bracing or propping bracing

Arborists are often called upon to assess and work toward

To install a brace, an arborist will first drill through both

Eventually, these limbs will fail, but with proper support,

 By Trav's Tree Services, July 30, 2017

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