Myth: You Should Always Stake Trees

Growers use stakes on saplings to get rapid stem elongation (height) in a short time. This causes structurally weak trees. If trees are not staked but left to grow naturally, or rather wind-hardened, they grow taper, like a fishing rod, which is the strongest shape for a column.

Myth: Mature Trees Need To Be Pruned Regularly

This is in fact the worst thing you can do for a mature tree. By removing leaves we reduce the trees ability to make food. Trees are auto-tropic (make their own food)energy systems. They use air (carbon dioxide and oxygen), macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium), micro-nutrients (iron, molybdenum, sulphur, manganese, magnesium and copper) sunlight and water, and produce sugars and starches, also known as photosynthates. These are metabolised into proteins and other amino acids to grow timber, flowers, roots, shoots and leaves.