Question
With Hurricane Katrina rolling through, I guess my problem is nothing compared to folks south of me.....Tuscaloosa, AL.

I have 2 Leland Cypress trees, planted about 2-3 yrs ago.  They are now approx 10'-12' tall.

The winds have "bent" them at about a 45-60 angle.  No apparent breakage or root damage, just bent.

Question: should I tie and stake them straight or will they straighten on their own.  A local nursery said to give then2 weeks to see if they start to straighten on their own.

Your advise is appreciated!

Answer
i would follow their advice. after the waiting period you may want to stake them and apply pulling pressure via a rope w/hose protecting the bark. you could dig the ground around the trees to physically straighten them before staking them. remove the stakes a year later. leland cypress should recover nicely as they grow quickly.  yours are still small as they will grow to 60-100' at maturity. if you leave them the way they are they will start to grow straight naturally and the twist in them will always remind you of huricane katrina.
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goodluck
rick in NJ