On 13/06/2013 23:44, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:44:07 +0100, Wendy Tinley wrote:

We have a self-set Mountain Ash in our urban front garden. I would say
it's been growing for about four to five years and is now about seven to
eight feet high. The nearest building is 30 feet away.

Must like it, our Rowans aren't that much bigger and have been in
over ten years. B-)

My intention is to let it grow as is but both my neighbour and window
cleaner say I should stake it as the wind will make it grow bendy
against the prevailing wind. We are far from exposed but when it is a
bit blustery the sapling does whip around.

Unless it is exposed to an open aspect from the prevailing direction
and it is pretty much constantly windy it will grow straight. Our
trees are bent but they *are* exposed and it's nearly always quite
windy (by urban standards) and sometimes very windy (hard to stand up
windy).

The wind moving it about a bit will strengthen and thicken the trunk,
this won't happen if it's staked.

Depends how you stake it. One way is with a diagonal stake and a longish
rubber tie wrap a couple of feet off the ground. Basically limiting how
much it can move but still allowing flexure.

This should give it enough support to avoid excessive tilt in the
direction of the prevailing wind. But as others have said if it is a
seedling that has grown in situ it already has enough roots so the stake
is more to prevent it growing where you don't want it. It is a different
matter for a newly planted tree that will otherwise keep on snapping
newly developed roots if it continually rocks in the wind.

In my garden newly planted anything taller than 2' has to be staked or
it will blow away. I once lost a 3x2' cloche in a storm. Never found it!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown