Leaning plum tree -- should I dig it out, reset it, and stake it?

I have a leaning tree that I'd like to fix.  I've read lots of different advice on the internet, most are for large trees.  This one is not so big.  The previous home owners tied it to a metal rod.  I'm not sure this is going to work.  I'm thinking it would be better if I dug around the base about 2 feet and about 2 feet deep and straightened it, then use 3 stakes tied to the tree until the root re-establish.

Anyone have any different advice?

Why bother?  From what I can see it looks like a plum tree, which will not get overly large.  Also, I dont know what part of the country you are in, or what the rules are about fences and property lines, it does look like that one branch will interfer with the fence in time. 
What you suggest, digging and all will work, but it's a lot of hard labor.  I would be more concerned with some corrective trimming.  From what I can see the one big branch going off to the side could be trimmed off and the inside opened up some, but I would have to have more photos to tell for sure.

If you do the digging and straightening up bit, my suggestion is to not stake it up at all.  Dont give it a cruch to lean on. It's big enough and you should leave enough of a root ball so it can stand up on it's own.

Thanks Hank.  I live in Wichita, KS.  The wind here is crazy which is why I figured I should stake it.  Otherwise, I fear the wind would just blow it over again.  My guess is it wasn't staked when planted and the wind had a lot to do with it's leaning.

I guess I was concerned more with aesthetics than property lines.  I figured I would have to trim to keep it from going over the fence but wasn't sure how much. Glad to know it won't get too big.

Knowing now where I live and the wind situation (it's not uncommon to have 40+ MPH gusts), you still think it would stand without staking?  Although, I may do as you said, and just let it be.  What if it begins to lean even more?  Should I go ahead and remove the stake that is bracing it now?

BTW, I'll take some more pictures today and post them in this thread.

Kansas? Where even the buildings lean downwind? And I think you are right, the tree was blown over shortly after planting and never pushed back upright.  Myself, I'd do some corrective trimming and take away the post and wire.  If the tree continues to fall slowly over, or if you just cant stand the leaning tree look; well, that's an opportunity to harvest some nice plum firewood and go looking for another tree.  After all, it's easier to dig a small hole for a new tree then dig around the one you've got now!

Oh, and yes, if you plant a new tree, stake it untill it puts down roots.
Ummm, I'm thinking fresh apple pie with apples from your own apple tree!

Hank wrote:
Kansas? Where even the buildings lean downwind? And I think you are right, the tree was blown over shortly after planting and never pushed back upright.  Myself, I'd do some corrective trimming and take away the post and wire.  If the tree continues to fall slowly over, or if you just cant stand the leaning tree look; well, that's an opportunity to harvest some nice plum firewood and go looking for another tree.  After all, it's easier to dig a small hole for a new tree then dig around the one you've got now!

Oh, and yes, if you plant a new tree, stake it untill it puts down roots.
Ummm, I'm thinking fresh apple pie with apples from your own apple tree!

Awesome!  Thanks for the advice!

While I would be of the "leave it" camp  (lazy pays), or, yes, take it out and plant something I want far more ....  I do think that if a person really wanted to straighten it, it is possible, but has other problems.

You could put a deep stake in the ground and attach three cables to align it upright.  By fall, let it go.  It would be straighter - but it would actually have a curve at the base.

paul wheaton wrote:
While I would be of the "leave it" camp  (lazy pays), or, yes, take it out and plant something I want far more ....  I do think that if a person really wanted to straighten it, it is possible, but has other problems.

You could put a deep stake in the ground and attach three cables to align it upright.  By fall, let it go.  It would be straighter - but it would actually have a curve at the base.

Thanks Paul. We've decided to let it be.  It actually gives the yard some character.  And it's pretty enough, as long as it doesn't completely tip over, it looks really nice this time of year.  We have room for one more small/medium sized tree and we're trying to decide on the type.  I think we want something fruit bearing like an Apple tree.  We just need to determine if our yard will support it and if not, what we need to do to get it moving in that direction.  Lots going on in the backyard right now.

While I am an extra lazy bastard for a lot of stuff - I would take out a tree to plant more edibles.  Most trees make a good hugelkultur

paul wheaton wrote:
While I am an extra lazy bastard for a lot of stuff - I would take out a tree to plant more edibles.  Most trees make a good hugelkultur

Cool stuff.

myself i wouldn't..i'd leave it..i have tried to move trees about that size and all but one died..

it is beautiful..more beautiful being not perfect..IMHO

paul wheaton wrote:I would take out a tree to plant more edibles.

From the photo, it looks to be in the plum family. Maybe it would be lazier to graft in some food-producing branches within reach, leaving the out-of-reach branches to the original species? That might also give food sooner.

Paul Wheaton! fruit trees give foood and permaculturists are meant to be making seven layers of plant groth all in the same place, canopy trees or high trees, under canopy trees, smaller trees, that manage with less light, bushes, herbacious plants, ground cover plants which have edible roots and climbers. I have to look that up to get all seven and to get them right. paul wheaton are you permaculture in all but food forests.

  A good wind break of trees reduces the wind problem.
    In Spain they seem to think trees bring bad weather and they believe in burning trees that don't give fruit, they take the bible a bit too seriously. Trees give shelter against cold as well as sun and from winds, though i don't know how Brenda Groth stands that many trees in a place with long cold winters. In England for example you do want the sun to be able to get to you in your favourite sitting spots. Here in spain you don't, you just want shade in summer. I do agree with her about strange shaped trees being pretty.

why trees bend in the wind.
    I have read Roland Ennos "trees" that trees get their sideways tilt in windy places because the dust in the wind kills windward growing bits of tree, because the wind bends the branches over sideways and because the wind freezes salient bits, bits that grow up or that grow on the windward side and so the tree start to grow to the lea of itself and in a streamlined way so that it hardly presents I fthis is the case in your garden if you straighten the tree the same factors will just blow itsideways again unless you put up a wind break a glass screen for example.resistents to the wind.

Bent trees take to an upwards growth as soon as they can
    I have an almond that grews like that affected by the wind that came in between the two house mine and the neighbors but as the wind has decreased because the willow in the valley has got higher and lifts the wind up above the garden, the almond  has grown a strong sucker branch upwards from a meter and a half up the trunk that will take over from what is the main branch now and make the tree into an upright one and that is the tendency of all trees that slant those that were planted on a slant and those blown buy the wind they grow a branch that turns the tree into a straight trunked tree. trees themselve manage to become straight given half a chance. This also happend to a tree I planted crocked.

  The disadvantages to tying up trees.
    I tried tying up some sloes that grow sideways over the path  because they are trying to get to the sun and when i untied them they fell over.
      Roland Ennos, who explains why trees grow sideways in the wind in his book "trees" also explains how trees produce wood that helps a branch to be held up or a tree to stand up against the wind. They produce compresion wood on the underside of the branch, for example, that resists compression, making it  harder for the branch to bend downward and tension wood on the top side that shrinks longitudinally also making it hard for the branch to bend downard. Roland Ennnos says trees put on compresion wood and tension wood as a resopnse to pressures that could weaken the tree and so if you put a stake on a tree it stops the tree bending in the wind for example and this means that the trees staked  never realise where they  need tension and where it needs compression  wood  and so you get a tree that has not adapted to its situation and cannot stand up without a stake.. So no staking is what i believe. agri rose macaskie.