Bridge Grafting Severely Stripped/Girdled Fruit Trees

UPDATE HERE (as of June 2022): • UPDATE - Bridge Grafti...
Early this spring, after the snow melted, we discovered that all 7 of our fruit trees had been severely girdled by some some of small yard pest (voles, shrews, mice, who knows). They ate all of the bark from the bottom 6 - 18" on all 7 trees. This video documents step by step how we did a life-saving operation called a "bridge graft" to reconnect the bottom bark with the top bark, and it worked on 6 of the 7 fruit trees (mostly apple and sour cherry trees).

[@stevecochran2677]

Thank you, I was injured last year and couldn't mow my orchard of 30 trees. Now the voles moved in and ate the hell out of 3/4 of my trees. Im going out in a few min and try this bridge graft. This is the first year I have thousands of blooms on my 8 to 10 year old trees. 3 trees are already completely dead but im going to try and save as many as possible. Thanks so much for this video !!

[@useruserson6662]

SOOOOO pleased to have found this video. We're in MN and we had the 3rd highest snowfall the state has ever recorded. Rabbits did a number on many of our trees. Going to the store tomorrow to get supplies and we're going to build bridges and cross our fingers. I had thought MAYBE wax and tightly bound string might work but this makes more sense. Thank you!!!!

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Trees take so long to mature, it's sad to see that level of damage. Let me know how it goes! Good luck.

[@gregorythomas333]

Hey...great to see you posting again! Wow...that came out so well :)

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Thank you!

[@ricetogo]

Love your miracle making!

[@moirarussell1950]

Thankyou and I salute you! I was so sad and now I am going out to try your girdles.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

I hope it works for you!

[@meganc8560]

That is sooo cool! I had no idea that was possible! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! we have a tiny apple tree in our front yard so I’ll have to watch out for those issues!

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Thank you Megan! :)

[@justin-dr6sx]

Excellent technique! Ive got a passion fruit vine that i accidentally ring barked.. I will give this trick a go! Thankyou 😊

[@bobmariano3731]

Awesome video , thx so much ! Great video. Going to try this on my young Aspen & plum tree . 👍⚾️

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Please let us know how it goes!

[@aliaksandrradziuk5438]

respect for bridge grafting!

[@mastertechnician3372]

Thank you for your video. I use a nail to secure the scion on both upper and lower positions when scion is more than 8 inches long. Tapes are fine to keep grafts from drying or water and insects from getting into the wound. Overall, your video is great. Please keep us informed on how the grafts performed.

[@cheburnett5955]

Brilliant, you are giving me hope for mine that the rabbit helped itself too.

[@thomasnix31]

Congratulations... I have the same type destruction here in Wrightsville Georgia USA ,. but it was caused by Deer knawing on the trunks. Thanks for this video, as It gives me hope that I can possibly save two apple trees.

[@bradenclaringbold4327]

Just curious if i should do this on my young tree? It was just a long strip up the tree about 6 inches. I've put a cover on it now to protect it going forward.

[@brycedelay2092]

Thank you, that was fun to watch. Would you mind doing a following up video on the trees' progress and health? For science :)

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Update here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpbMqoZ_d7yZrck

[@phyconinga]

Hello, I'm in the same boat you were with 9 apple trees and a peach tree girdled by voles. Thanks for the video I didnt think to dig around the base, I've got nothing to loose. I have heard that the first year after being girdled they will still flower and leaf out but the following year they will die. I hope your grafts took and they survive. I will give it a shot, some of these trees I previously grafted 5 years ago. I think I will remove all fruit to ensure they survive.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Trees have buds again this spring! Second year surviving. So disappointing to lose mature fruit trees, I wish you good luck. It's time consuming, but def worth trying.

[@charlesscott8805]

We are in Southern Central Montana, and the snow which was abnormally heavy in the past few months is now melted back to only about 18 inches deep, and this was above some plastic tubing that I had slit lengthwise and utilized to protect for this kind of thing, voles, moles, and maybe bunnies. Under that tubing, there is plenty of bark to tie into. I am encouraged now, because we had the very same thing happen, 6 out of 7 apple trees are completely girdled and the 7th has 3/4 completely girdled. I hope I have the luck and skill required to get a similar result. We have much more difficulty for anything to grow and survive, because it is so dry and hot here in the summer. Anyway thank-you for this info.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

It's worth trying - a cheap potential fix, mostly just takes your time. Would love to hear how it goes. Good luck!

[@TheIrishSicilian]

Two of my apples got hit the same way. Yet none of the fruit trees across the street got hit. We have rabbits skunks deer all in the city. Ugh :) So what exactly is that bark to bark?

[@bobmariano3731]

Do use the sealer all over the girdled area also after grafting ? ? Or just the areas you graft ? Thx

[@TwinCitiesAdventures]

It’s about time that you made another video! Where have you been???? 😊😁

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Ha, thanks for the support. Motherhood has slowed some of my hobbies, but I'm still doing what I can. :)

[@craigperras6306]

I just had my goats girdle several of my fruit trees! I'm going to try this! Do you have another video showing the bridge grafts then next year? Are you removing the wrap at some point?

[@appleknockerradio9512]

What did you use to wrap? I need to do this Asap for a loquat and want to make sure I don't use a material that would become a petri dish for fungus and disease etc.

[@appleknockerradio9512]

Never mind, I just saw you answered that already below! Thanks for this great video.

[@johndon74]

that's a great help!! thank you. i have bad damage to a tree from a whippy snipper and will try this in desperation for saving the tree. how long before the tree regrows the bark?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

I don't think the tree ever regrows bark? I assume it will always need those grafts in place. Not sure there though.

[@peppermint6253]

Very helpful video. Thank you. My crabapple tree has been completely girdled. At some point do you remove the vinyl tape?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

I believe the tape is now there for the life of the tree, that's why it's important that is vinyl and has some stretch to it.

[@randygilbert4577]

Why didn’t you show us the end result with the tree trunk? Makes you wonder.

[@onetwocue]

This happened to me but it waa rabbits! And it happened on the trees that i didnt put a tree protector or wire cage around.

[@mountainhunterhomestead6018]

I learned something today thanks for sharing, great seeing you.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

I appreciate it!

[@outliersoverland]

Cool trick. Hope it works. We had rabbits girdle one of our lilac trees and it died.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

It did work! 6 of the 7 trees survived. Sorry to hear about your lilac - give this a try if it happens again.

[@avaghafari9896]

Great video. When do you take the tie tapes off?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Never, actually. That's why you use a flexible/stretchy tape. :)

[@chaparra71]

Oh boy! I bet you bought a BIG roll of hardware cloth after that!

[@jmoore3351]

OMG. There might be hope. I have three you apple trees that were hit by Voles. Some completely girdles and others a mosaic of missing bark. How long did it take until you knew you were "out of the woods" and the trees had recovered? Thank you!

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Sad to hear, so disappointing to see that, right? A permaculture friend told me you're not out of the woods until the tree is producing mature fruit. Even if your tree leaves out fully over the summer, it's possible it just had enough stored energy to make it one last season. But it would not have enough stored resources in the top half of the tree to produce mature fruit. I would double-check resources online though for a second opinion and accuracy.

[@jmoore3351]

@@alaskaurbanhippie Thank you so much for the information. I was so excited to see the trees bud and leaf out. Flowers starting too! I thought for sure that they would be ok. The local nursery informed me that they, like you said, have enough energy stored for the season but will eventually die if completely girdled. They said it is probably too late in the year to graft but what do I have to lose? I think I will try it since without grafting, there is not much hope anyway. Last quick question, curious about your thoughts on trees salve or paintable wound care. So many people have told me to let the tree naturally care for the wound. That salves will just seal in harmful bacteria, etc. Maybe with girdling, this is a different story since the wound is so significant? Sorry for all the questions. Your post has been sooooo helpful. Can't wait to get to Alaska someday! Lots of friends on Anchorage, Girdwod, etc. Thank you, Jason

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

@jmoore3351 I was told it was better to completely seal after grafting, because you are actively cutting into the tree, so it's extra vulnerable in that area, and if pests get inside, the great will definitely fail. Yes, it's worth a try! The supplies aren't too expensive, and it's good experience grafting. I wish you luck!

[@inharmonywithearth9982]

Shrews are not rodents so they do not have the ever-growing teeth that require gnawing on bark. That looks very much like rodents have damaged your tree's bark. A shrew will hunt down enormous quantities of insects and young rodents and their nests. Usually that is the meadow voles that chew bark because they do not hibernate have constantly growing teeth and get pretty hungry during winter. Owls favorite food is voles and they are especially designed to digest them and cough up their bones and fur as pellets wherever the owl roots for the day.

[@wendyding724]

Are these trees crafted?

[@d0peshow]

What kind of tape do you use?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

It was a generic vinyl stretch tie. You should be able to find it at your local nursery or even the big box home improvement stores. You just need something waterproof with some flex to it.

[@shenanfaas1802]

Did you leave the tape on the whole time or did you take it off after a few weeks

[@shenanfaas1802]

You helped me on a day of panic and tears when 6 of my fruit trees were girdled badly. It’s been 2 months since they are still wrapped and sealed but I don’t remember if I was supposed to remove everything or not hence the question up above

[@andresrodridguez4890]

Hey how are your trees doing now?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Trees have buds again this spring! Second year surviving.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Update! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpbMqoZ_d7yZrck

[@OakSummitNursery]

Did they leaf out this spring?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

There's still snow here and freezing temps regularly. If they do leaf out again, it won't happen for another month or so.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Trees have buds again this spring! Second year surviving.

[@OakSummitNursery]

@@alaskaurbanhippie great to hear, sounds like a full recovery. we have a few trees to bridge graft right away, hoping it works.

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Update here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpbMqoZ_d7yZrck

[@juliosdiy3206]

Oh my them trees r literally wiped clean i would go mad cow if that ever happened.

[@Whodaleewho]

I wish I had an Urban Hippie of my very own. :(

[@Kenniii3]

So, did it work?

[@alaskaurbanhippie]

Yes! Update here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpbMqoZ_d7yZrck

[@poppacore6433]

A bunch of trees got girdled by some idiot in the Public Gardens in my hometown. I hope they're able to use this method to repair the trees.