New Saplings and Deer Damage...

[ultrarunner]

Im even closer than you think, we have a house on Vancleave way. Which is off Redwood road, right below Skyline. But I live in San Ramon. HD is pretty good since they will let you return the treees if they die. Even from Deer. 10 bucks is really good for trees!

My brother lived/worked at Skyline Ranch while getting his degree at Cal Berkeley...

They had an old Ford Tractor with a loader and post hole digger that he used a lot.

Stanly Costa was a long time family friend going back many decades...

Small world.

 

[North West Farmer]

In my previous post (#16) I described the sapling (tree) protecting tube as an expandable plastic mesh tube that we use in combination with a biodegradable plastic ground cover when putting in new tree plantings. I did not recall the name of the tubes, but forgeblast identified the name in his post, where he also included a site to locate and acquire them. The tubes are called "Rigid seedling protector tubes", in that site.

We have experienced very positive results using those protective tubes, as indicated by forgeblast.

As with members in other posts we have tried many methods of defeating the deer and from a time and cost affect standpoint, the protective tubes stand out far and above anything else we have attempted.

We found out about the tubes from our neighbor, a forest management specialist, by observing his plantings and asking about the tubes. He gave us some to experiment with and the results were extremely positive. The tubes have been a main stay in our new plantings since that point in time.

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[forgeblast]

If you have any voles, you dont want to use black pipe. They dont like the light which the tree tubes let in, if its dark they will tunnel in and eat the roots.
There are blue ex tubes, which are recycled xray films but they are much "cheaper" many have torn after a year.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Ultra,

Try the soap on a rope idea.

Any stron smelling soap, Ivory, Irish Spring will work. Drill a hole, tie a nylon rope through it and hang it central to the tree.

VA has TONS of deer and the pro apple orchards all use the soap trick to keep deer away.

It works.

David

 

[jk96]

I have an orchard in northeast Ohio. I hang a bar of regular scent Irish spring soap in every tree. I drill a hole in the soap and put a plastic tie thru and attach as close to the center of the tree as possible. When it rains you get a soap film on thr trunk of the tree. I have had fantastic results doing this.

I've done the same thing with for a few years now with great results. I thought my neighbor was full of it when he suggested this.

 

[LazySusanFarms]

Have not tried the Irish Spring soap trick yet.

A couple ideas that we are goig to use include the 8 string cantilevered fence idea from Gallagher. The fence is actually at an angle to the ground with alternating charged strings. This will be for our large plantings.

For the single trees, you can always try 2" x 4" mesh fencing suspended above the ground by 4" using stakes. Take 2 pieces of 4' x 8' mesh and cut a hole in the middle when joined for the tree. Most animals will not step on the mesh to approach the tree. Similar to a cattle crossing at a gate.

 

[dmccarty]

Have not tried the Irish Spring soap trick yet...

We tried Irish Spring.

Our Deer must be Irish because the soap smell did not stop them at all.

Later,
Dan

 

[Western]

Have any of you had luck saving a sapling? I have heard of commercial stuff you can buy to put on tree wounds.

My grandfather always used white latex house paint with about a cup of Listerine added to it and painted the "saw-offs" maybe I'll try that.

Also sounds like some of you should be raising deer not trees since you have a huge head start

 

[idaho2]

Here are a few pictures of some of the seventy maples we planted last spring with the tube protectors on all of them. Also, used T-posts as supports for the wire strung thru tubing as a support for the tree sway when the wind shows up that we get daily. But we left enough movement for the tree to sway which translates to a stronger root growth if the tree has some sway. For the Hawthorne and Ash we placed fencing around them to keep all 4 legged critters from getting to them. Did the same for a Choke Cherry tree. Next spring will be the true test if the maples have survived thru the winter.

idaho2

 

[MossflowerWoods]

For the Hawthorne and Ash...
idaho2

idaho2,

Is your hawthorne the same kind of shrubby invasive growth with inch long nasty thorns as the "hawthorne" I'm told I have all over my place?

I do have some the size of small trees...

Thanks,
David