How to Save a Girdled Tree 🌳🌳🌳🌳 Bark Stripped by a Rabbit

Learn about bark damage from rabbits and voles, and what to do about it. All about girdled stems on trees and shrubs.
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How to Save a Girdled Tree 🌳🌳🌳🌳 Bark Stripped by a Rabbit
Rabbits and voles can strip bark from a tree or shrub in winter. This is called a girdled tree or girdled stem. In this video I show you how I deal with this problem.
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rabbit in snow by George Tuli:commons.wikime...
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[@aedger5830]

so informative and clearly explained. Thank you

[@cliffbarber1642]

Very helpful. Thank you so much!

[@Marshallismysweetie]

It would be awesome to see an update on how these are doing now!

[@gladysanderson1351]

Thanks for a helpful video. I am so sad. Two of my 6 four fruit trees were girdled just after this last snow fall by rabbits. One of those things. Fully intended to put hardware cloth around them but other things in life got my attention

[@maxzytaruk8558]

You have a much better attitude than I do when this happens😂

[@gladysanderson1351]

Thanks for a helpful video! I am sad and reproaching myself for not getting the hardware cloth on my young fruit trees . It looks like two of six were girdled by rabbits. I need to inspect them all and get protection around the others. Looks like it happened since our last snowfall.

[@dandeleona4760]

I had a mango sapling with sunscald that girdled the stem crispy. Above was still lush and green. This is the perfect time to air root the top and get a true to type cutting from the shrub. For those that don't know, air rooting would girdle the tree anyway, and enclose the cambium of the healthy top in a mesh of sphagnum,dirt and then plastic wrap and opage cover it to keep the moisture in the soil, while roots form in the darkness. This works because the center white wood is still intact with roots sending nutrients to the top. Cambium sends nutrients from leaves to the roots for storage and processing with water to send back up again through the center wood. When roots spring out, the girdled section is cut and the new tops planted. It's a small start to be sure, but it saves having to chop those healthy leaves off for compost or trying to root in water or use as a scion. Let the plant do its job to get a true to type replica, or two or a few, depending on how may stems were left behind animal foraging.

[@oatssettle846]

I appreciate the info. Sad my protection was 3" too short to prevent the girdling. Hopeful it will come back after pruning.

[@Rosegloweyes]

Thank you!

[@bobmariano3731]

Thx you 👍⚾️

[@CaterinaCampese]

is there a reference i can use to quote this very-simple/amazing video?

[@robertburch3813]

So you just cut away 80% of your new tree and hope the critters don't come back when the new growth gets to that level again?

[@danascuratedreviews]

Thank you for the video! How do I protect trees from rabbits? Can I spray something on the tree to prevent further bark removal? Will a small section of removed bark heal itself?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

chicken wire, or use plastic wraps made for the purpose.

[@BA-vu5br]

Hi, this is exactly what happened to my hedge. Do you have idea how to prevent rabbit from ruining the plant like this? Thanks.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Fence.

[@GrowingFlowersandLove]

I have seen where people will wrap the tree in tinfoil or a plastic wrap and it saves it but I don’t know the permanence of that method. I have a tree Like this and I’m debating on cutting it down and hoping it comes back up or trying to save it. Regardless I’m going to takeoff some of the top branches and try to root them. Hopefully if I try to root them in spring or or just before they will grow. I am not sure.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

The plastic tree guards work well to prevent the problem.

[@inharmonywithearth9982]

I use aluminum foil as soon as I notice bark getting stripped and it stops them. Shiney side out so I can leave it on through summer if I want. I once had a completely debarked girdled moonglow pear tree. It made new bark somehow just like the cork oaks of Portugal do! Don't give up hope.

[@aedger5830]

Does it matter what type of material I use to protect my plum tree and Magnolia tree? I have seen large black coils and I see you have used the white thinner "wrap". Thank you in advance for your help.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Anything that keeps them from chewing works.

[@Ukepa]

thanks, this is really helpful! I haven't had a back yard for years, so this is especially good information for me!!!

[@SCTurtles]

Can you cut the girded part away and (about 12" vertical inches) then graft the top part back onto the roots?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

You could regraft the top part, if you catch it in time.

[@SCTurtles]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 Thanks. We have six three-Year old apple trees that the rabbits got. We hate to lose the money and more importantly the time to grow the trees so far. In February we will try your suggestion and hopefully let you know it worked. Thanks for your good video and help.

[@dimash244]

I bought 10 trees last year, apples plums cherry and we had record amount of snow... Rabbits chewed top of some trees... And couple all the way around. Can I cut and splice the tree? I can return it to store but I'm worried they will throw them away and the roots are perfectly fine

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

It is better to return them.

[@dimash244]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 now that time passed I see branches coming out on some of them, only cherry completely dead

[@waynebinky]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 pretty certain the store won't cover rabbit damage due to the owner not protecting the lower section.