When I tie something down I prefer to tie off to a stake firmly in the ground. Often using the steel pins used to hold down weed barrier. You might need something bigger for heavy wood.

My take on your peach tree is that you'd only tie down a branch you're wanting to position as permanent wood. I'd not tie down anything that was fruiting wood for next yr. If the wood is too long or too thick prune it out next spring. Peaches fruit very well on upright wood. Leave what you want fruit on and remove the rest.

The problem with weighing down branches is that there is a fine line between adequate weight to get the branch in the position you want and snapping the branch. Sometimes that line is crossed during a big flake slushy snow or windy weather. Also the weight may pull the branch down further than you want.

You love your trees- maybe you should use Olpea's method and tie the branches to stakes with string. That is what I usually do when I can't use spreaders, although I've used weights over the years on big old apple trees. But when an apple loses a branch it sprouts out a replacement.

Actually I don't use stakes as much as heavy cement blocks on the ground that I can run string through. My soil doesn't hold stakes well.

Mrs. G, I use cotton rope from Walmart sold in 100' spools and usually tie it around good size rocks I find laying around. I use the little metal tent stakes also. The cotton rope is thick enough that will not cut into the wood and is cheap. Chris.

Thank you all. I have four peach trees that want to grow vertically. I can continue to prune out the new growth in the center. I think stakes just might be the way to go H-man, as I do want my trees to look like Olpea's trees. The bent branches also appear to bear more fruit. The trees are four years old and only one (the fifth peach tree) is pruned well and bends over. That tree came on dwarf rootstock, the only dwarf in my small orchard. The stake idea appeals to me as I think I would have more control over the limbs and not break them. thank you everyone. Mrs. G

Depending on the size of branch, I'll either use small rocks from the yard wired to clothespins or (for summer shoots) I'll put a handful of clothespins on the branch and it'll bend down in a few days.

I too like concrete blocks. Easy to move and change.
I have had limbs torn in wind tying to the ground/blocks
Whenever possible I use spreaders or tie down to lower branches or trunk. Then wind action won't tug so much.

I used gallon milk jugs filled with water to tie the ropes down. However, the 5-on-1 tree tipped gradually in our light sand, so it is now growing nearly sideways, making it difficult to protect with rodent wire. Last winter when I was away from home caring for my late father, the rabbits chewed and killed the lower two varieties of my 8-year-old tree, and they chewed the bark off about half of the 6-inch diameter trunk. Use caution on how hard you try to pull it down! Northwoodswis

Northwoodswis4

That is excellent advice as I have a number of wild rabbit families. Cute until they eat everything, right in front of you! Mrs. G

Mrs. G,

Sounds like you got your questions answered. I'd only add that I too sometimes loose tied down branches in the wind. For me, I loose less branches when tying down in the wintertime. They don't have the foliage to catch the wind.

One might think branches tied during the dormant season won't stay down, but they seem to here. Perhaps it's the variable freezing and thawing which sets them. Sometimes I have to tie a scaffold down, then it grows up from the point tied down, so I have to tie the upward growth down a second time. After that I rely on fruiting and pruning to control the height.

I use both cotton string (from Walmart) or sisal baling twine to tie down. I use just about anything handy to make stakes. Old #12 wire, pieces of wood, clothes hangers, anything I can push deep into the ground. The wire eventually rusts away, or the wood rots along with the wood chips.

I have to admit, sometimes the stakes get in the way when I run a sickle mower under the younger trees, but once the branches are set, I've just started mowing the stakes (wire, or wood) right along with the weeds (mower cuts right through the stakes). Sometimes it looks funny to see stakes dangling from the branches, still hooked to the string.

Thanks Olpea! I try to hand weed around each tree till mulch goes down in the spring. I still think I'll try the stakes because they do rot. Never thought of doing it now. What great idea! We have no frozen ground, no snow and sun. I might even wait until our January thaw. Perfect. I'll get to Home Depot right after the holidays and buy stakes. I have stakes that are metal but I'd rather have wood. Thanks again!!! You're a peach! Did I say that? Mrs. G

"You're a peach! Did I say that? Mrs. G"

Too funny!
:-)

I might emphasize I don't think the type of stake makes any difference, as long as you can push it deep into the ground. I don't think I'd buy stakes unless as a last resort.

So far I've always been able to find something to use as stakes. I've even used old prunings (if they are large enough diameter) as stakes. As you mention, the ground can't be frozen (or too dry) for larger stakes (especially wooden stakes).

I push those buggers down as far as I can get them because the wind will want to pull them up. I think for a woman who wasn't quite as strong, I might recommend hammering the stakes in (in windy climates like KS).

Of course you may be a little pickier about the type of stakes you use in your landscape. For me, I don't care how the stakes look and I always seem to have enough junk in the scrap iron pile to come up with enough stakes (although I have also been know to raid my wife's closet for extra clothes hangers).

I have used weights made out of concrete. Take aluminum wire and loop it through the spring of a clothes pin, then insert this into a Dixie cup cup filled with wet concrete. They work pretty well but do tend to fall off from time to time.
The big advantage to them is how easy they are to adjust. My pluots would adapt and start growing straight up again so it is handy to be able to move the weight farther up or down the branch if needed. I did have a few of the branches snap off of my nectarine but I realized that the crotch was at a steep angle and if anything it pruned out a weak branch that I thought was going to be fine.

Greetings:

Since I have some old tents that are no longer usable, I saved the plastic tent stakes. I used those last year
under some young trees and tied the limbs to them that I wanted to spread. It worked great! Twine and tent stakes.
At least if you only have a few trees.

I almost forgot to mention that my trees are in my back yard and although they have a tree ring around the trunk I still need to mow the lawn under them so staking them isn't an option.

I'm not going to worry about mowing, I can hand clip around the trees, its great excercise. Olpea I wish I had stuff laying around but only only birdbaths, and large outdoor pots (all are hidden). I will have to buy stakes and good string. I have a nice sledge hammer for pounding in the stakes. It will work well. I would also like to do this to my 'combo' European pear. This should be the first year it will fruit. It is loaded with fruiting spurs but as I've learned in the past they do not always mean fruit that will hang on! Thanks all, Thanks Olpea!