THE best results come when you don’t have to stake a tree at all as the minute a stake is used the tree is reliant on something else for support, writes TOM ATTWOOD. It will take comparatively longer to root itself down with strong anchoring roots than if it didn’t have a stake. But, and it’s a big but, there are times and scenarios when a stake is crucial as without something the tree(s) would topple. Staking, and whether you need to use it, will become apparent very quickly. If you’re deciding on a day without a breath of wind in the air then think about how your new tree would fare in some strong November gales; if you decide you need a stake then in most situations a single, pointed, tanalised round post will suffice around 50-75mm in diameter. If you can, I like to angle the stake so that it passes across the stem of the tree at a tight angle and is fixed low down. Fixing a tree lower down allows the upper portion of stem to flex and this flexing will encourage strengthening wood to be produced by the tree. Use a good quality tree tie correctly fixed as a loose-fitting tie will lead to rubbing and damage to the stem. The stake should be redundant in a year or two when the tree will have produced a good root system and the stake can be removed.

Watering; well at this time of year it’s unlikely your tree will need a great deal (as I write this the rain is battering the windows full pelt). If it is an evergreen then it will need more than if it was a deciduous tree but not much more as at this time of year water take up is a fraction of what it is in the spring.

Pruning of your tree should be minimal at this stage as with the majority of trees pruning is only needed three or five years down the line.

Next week: the beauty of perennials in the winter