A “Live Stake” is a dormant cutting of native tree species that can be installed directly into the ground in areas prone to erosion. These cuttings will root and eventually grow into an adult shrub/tree, and the roots will help to stabilize the soil. The cutting is 3 feet long and is pushed into the soil or inserted into a predrilled hole 2 feet into the ground in April.
Development, agriculture, and removal of plant life along streams increase flow of water. Stream banks that experience these disturbances are often left bare and without a strong root mass in the soil. Without plants and roots, soil particles are more likely to wash away during high waters, heavy rains, and rapid snow melts. When stream banks are bare, this leads to a number of undesirable results including sediment pollution in the water, loss of land, and deeply channeled streams.
Benefits of live stakes: • Much cheaper than container stock. • Easy to plant and handle. • Dogwood provides wildlife food. • Pussy Willow (Salix Discolor) provides early season nectar for bees. • Great for stabilizing stream banks • Provides a substitute for invasive plants • Can easily be cut from power lines and other plants
