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What is the correct way to stake a tree and do they need them. Some people say thye don't need staking

it is an amelanchier ballerina and is about 6 foot tall in a pot. It will be in an area surropunded by a four foot fence.

What way should the stake be, straight or at an angle?

[Greengage]

A small tree like that would not need staking, Not staking allows the tree to move in the wind this will allow the tree to butress, If you look at an established tree you will notice it is wide near the base this is the butress and helps keep the tree stable in high winds. If a tree is staked it could be prevented from moving in the wind and a butress will not form making it unstable in high winds.
If you buy a larger tree or bare rooted or move a large tree it will need staking to help it establish some anchor roots otherwise it will suffer from windrock and will always be unstable.
There are a number of ways to stake trees I would always use a short stake allowiing the tree to move in the wind but keeping it stable enough to establish anchor roots. Always check tree ties to see they are not rubbing the tree or work loose or are too tight and always remove after 3 years.

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[Greengage]

I would not bother, its his job to sell you a tree, stake, tree tie, compost and a spade if your flush with funds. Thats how we make our money

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It is still not planted. Can it be left in pot for a while and should it be fed or anything

[Anonany]

I very often buy small -- thus very cheap -- trees/shrubs, leave them in their original pots and sink them (pots and all) into the ground until I've decided quite where to put them. I've never deliberately fed them -- but then, I'm lazy ! -- but have found that they'll sit tight for at least a couple of years quite happily.

Once I've decided upon their final position, I just dig up the pot (and cut off any tap roots they might have tried to put down through the bottom of the pot) and move them to their new home. My logic is, quite simply, that all the feeding roots are concentrated around the stem and the tap roots are -- in the greater scheme of things -- unimportant until they're allowed to develop in their final position.

I rarely stake anything, but do put lots of rocks / heavy blocks on top of the root ball. So far -- fingers crossed ! -- I've not lost one yet.

Not sure whether this is "accepted gardening lore" ... but it's always worked for me. Come to think of it, I seem to remember that the late Geoff Hamilton did something similar using a timber frame construction at soil level ? Perhaps someone else remembers the exact details ?

As proof, this year we re-planted a couple of cherry trees and a crab apple that had been bought in Lidl about 3-4 year's ago ... and they're all thriving.

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