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Tree Protectors Remove Or Not?

D

Dingo

New Member
I planted 4 different varieties of Oaks this past spring and put the blue tree protectors around them. The protectors have plenty of air holes in them. I lost 50 apple trees once due to winter kill and I blamed the tree protectors as I had 25 trees without them and they all survived.

So my question is should I remove the tree protectors or not from my Oaks?

We get about 250 inches of snow here in the U.P. OF Mi. and the deer leave to winter in the deer yards so they wont eat the trees. I will put the protectors back on in the spring. Any advice will be appreciated.
 
I don't see how tree protectors would cause winter death? In fact,,you want to protect trees all you can in winter from Varmits! Especially under deep snow---mice! Voles! Raabbits on top of the snow.. If you want more air to them then make cages with screening or small wire mesh like hardware wire.
 
I think the snow does not get around the base of the tree because of the protector and the tree does not get the insulation effect of snow and the roots freeze and winter kill. Rabbits are not a problem where the trees are located we only have snowshoe hare here. Mice and voles are not an issue either. We get very cold weather in Feb. and without snow around the base of the trees concerns me.
 
Oaks are pretty tough to cold,,but if winter did kill them,,then pile snow up around them. If no snow then mulch around them with leaves or hay or something...My advice.
 
Thanks for your help/replys loneranger.

I was hoping someone would have some answers that has used the tree protectors.
Maybe someone who has tried it both ways or something. I think I will pull them off as soon as the deer migrate out unless someone comes up a better idea. I only have 85 to pull and I will put them back on in the early spring.
 
What brand of protectors? Why not talk to the people that make/market them and see what their experience has been. Time to check out their "customer service". Admittedly, it doesn't get as cold in central IA as the UP but I have tree protectors on some oaks in northern MN that do fine. I really find it difficult to believe that trees die from cold if they don't have snow in direct contact with the base. Makes may more sense to me that small rodents gain access to the "protected area" at the bottom and that's the cause of mortality.
 
Going back in my memory... Something along the lines of tree bark not hardening enough or staying too warm & vulnerable when gets brutally cold. I can't quite remember but I believe u on ur apple the experience. Ideally- I'd take tubes off & protect with other open methods. For apples- the only thing I trust and use is screen stapled high on the trunk to go above snow and steel fencing for deer, etc. I'd take em off but I know there's more knowledge on here and research u can do.
 
The dead APPLE trees were not damaged by rodents!
Sligh1 is on the right track I think with his answer.
Newly planted trees need snow around the base to insulate from extreme cold temps plus they I think they do not harden off correctly when the protectors are on them.

I will take them off and let you next spring how they wintered over.
 
If it helps you we leave all our tree tubes on each winter. We've used well over 1000 tree tubes and two different varieties. The die back we've experienced was due to mice getting in the tubes, which you've said isn't your problem. Having plenty of ventilation in the tubes to allow for air flow and they to harden off in the winter is key. You don't want them to get shocked by the first cold air snap that hits.

I'd think if this did happen that the tree roots would live and resprout but the above ground portion of the tree would die. That is what we've had the biggest problem with was die back on trees. They never completely died though. Hard to say exactly what was the cause of that problem though.
 
We are removing tree tubes from plantings since it is unfeasible for us to keep up on the maintenance that they require. If you can not mess with them at least twice a year they can be detrimental to trees. They need cleaned out. I would go with wire cages personally. You get a tree that is better stabilized against wind, tubes get trees up fast but then you have to wait for them to put enough diameter on to hold themselves up.

If the tubes do not have enough air flow the trees keep thinking it is warm enough to stay active, then you get that really cold night and it freezes the cambium and kills the tree off. The tree has not hardened off for winter.
 
Forestryguy

Can you post a picture of your idea of a wire cage setup.

I have several planting in the river bottom that floods. Flooding has cause many headaches for me.
The big thing I have noticed with tubing trees, is when the tubes are removed the tree trunks bark looks cracked, and the trees have no backbone.
 
iowathumper

I will try to find some. I have never posted pics on here either, so I will have to figure all that out.

Basically just take 5 or 6 ft fencing cut it so it makes what ever diameter you want it. Drive 2-4 stakes or fence posts and attach the fencing. I like to put the post on the inside of the wire, if an animal pushes on it, it is stronger. Then use wire or fencing clips to attach.

If you have taken tubes off and the trees are whips, you can use wire attached to the post then loosely around the tree, with garden hose to protect the bark. This will hold the tree up, but let it move some when the wind blows and make the tree stabilize itself by putting growth on the trunk.
 
iowathumper said:
Forestryguy

Can you post a picture of your idea of a wire cage setup.

I have several planting in the river bottom that floods. Flooding has cause many headaches for me.
The big thing I have noticed with tubing trees, is when the tubes are removed the tree trunks bark looks cracked, and the trees have no backbone.
Click to expand...

Here are a few pics I went out and took. This cage is on a fruit tree, but is the same idea. The wooden cage is a planter that my neighbor made for tomato plants. If someone had the scrap lumber and the time I am guessing that these could be fairly cheap to make.

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