North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["William C. Garthright" <billg@inebraska.com>]

> The nylon rope lasts much better.  But neither is totally kind to the bark, 
> because the tie is constantly rubbing against the bark and abrading it.


Hmm,... I wonder if I could put something around the bark first, to 
protect it? Something so the rope would slide on that and not directly 
on the bark? I can't think what would work and also stay put, though. I 
was looking at 5/8" in diameter rope (which won't fit in a garden hose), 
to provide the broadest possible surface area against the trunk, but... 
I just don't know.


> But if one is trying to pull it back up straight, when it has bent over from 
> the wind, for example, (ie. there is a constant pressure on the loop around 
> the trunk), the bark underneath does get indented.


Mine would have constant pressure, since I've got the limbs tied down in 
the other direction. The rope *would* pull the tree back up straight, a 
bit. But I'd think this constant pressure would actually lessen the 
abrasion problem. Not so?


>   The good aspect of this is that it doesn't seem to matter, (at least so 
> far), on my trees.  I haven't developed any cankers or anything, which one 
> might expect with damaged bark.
>   


That's good to know. And mine are dwarf trees, that I want to keep as 
small as possible. So any other effect of the rope (limiting the 
nutrients further up the tree, perhaps?) might even be somewhat useful. 
But I don't want to create a canker or anything, of course.

Thanks for the info!

Bill
Lincoln, NE (zone 5)

--
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government 
when it deserves it. - Mark Twain