On Fri, 10 Jan 2020 21:05:38 +0000, Jeff Layman
wrote:

What I find particularly strange about this is that confers have shallow
root systems and a lot of top growth which adds to wind resistance, so
newly-planted confers are particularly susceptible to the wind. In the
end I decided to not stake them, but put some heavy paving stones almost
up to the trunk on the windward side of the tree.

Had the same problem with some mature silver birch which were hit hard
by Storm Doris, ground was so soft, stakes did not hold, but paving
slabs held down the roots, since then they have thrived