# Straighten Leaning Tree



## UltimateLawn (Sep 25, 2020)

Does anyone know how to straighten a tree about 5-7 years old that is leaning?

I've got a tree in my front yard that is straight up from the trunk, but it has developed a lean of about 5 degrees. We had the tree staked for the first 4 years or so, but this lean has developed in the last 24 months. We removed the original stakes since we felt that the tree was established enough when it was about 12-15 ft tool...obviously not.

I don't know why it has developed the lean - maybe a softer soil on one side?

Anyway, I talked with my (occasional) landscaper and he said that the tree could be pulled back vertical by anchoring in the grass about 15 ft away from the tree and then slowly ratcheting tension with a cable over the next 12 months. He suggested watering around the tree heavily and increasing the tension weekly.

Does anyone have any experience with a way to fix this?

Picture below...you can use the straight mailbox brick as a guide for the lean amount. the trunk is about 5 inches across at the base.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

I don't know where you got your tree, but a call to an arborist is what I'd recommend. I'd trust their opinion 100x more than a landscaper's. If you strike out, you can always try calling Fannin Tree farm. Even without buying from them, they'd probably talk/email you because they love trees more than anything else.


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

It looks like the tree is leaning to get some sunlight. The tree that's off camera on the left appears to be shading it. It will just keep leaning until you fix the problem.


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## UltimateLawn (Sep 25, 2020)

****o1 said:


> It looks like the tree is leaning to get some sunlight. The tree that's off camera on the left appears to be shading it. It will just keep leaning until you fix the problem.


Good news...the tree previously there has recently been removed. Interesting if that was the cause. Does that imply that it will lean left again? The left side is facing the south, so it would be pulled back in the other direction.


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