Tree Protection from Wildlife: Tree Tubes vs Tree Cages

There are several tree protection methods from deer, rodents, livestock, rabbits, and other wildlife. Find out the pros and cons of tree tubes and fencing / caging trees in this video!
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Tree Pro Tree Tubes (60") - Pack of 25 - amzn.to/2DfctKF
Pack of 5 - amzn.to/2VOCXd2
Tree Pro Weed Mat (w/ anchor pins) - Pack of 25 - amzn.to/2EEs304
Stakes (1/2" Sch 40 Electrical Conduit) - thd.co/2v5ARNg
Cut into 5' lengths
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Concrete Remesh or Woven Wire Fence - thd.co/2DesD6S
6' T-posts - thd.co/2VIEku0
Plantra Weed Mats (w/ Garden Staples) - bit.ly/2Pb6hYN
Aluminum Window Screen - amzn.to/2GeSGf1
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key words: Protect trees from deer, Deer fence How to protect trees from deer Tree protector tubes Tree guards for deer Fruit tree protection Tree protection supply How to keep deer away from fruit trees Fruit tree cage Tree trunk protector Protect trees from deer rubbing Young tree protection Best deer fence Fruit tree fence how to protect apple trees

[@Reviewing_Playing_and_More_RPM]

Very cool video on how to protect a planted tree...never thought about them needing protection before, great info to know...Thanks...

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

There's lots of critters that like the leaves and cambrian layer right underneath the bark. If they get under the bark they can kill the tree. If they keep nipping the top of the tree, it will stunt the tree and could eventually die if they keep eating away. There's been many studies done on success rates with trees planted (and the numbers vary widely based on species of tree) but fencing or tubing definitely helps! Sometimes deer can wipe out an entire planting!

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

More great info Chip, I learned something. I fell behind on a few of your videos, but all caught up now.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, I was just doing the same with your videos as well. It's been a busy week or two at work, so I hadn't been posting much. I'll get caught up though as time allows. Thanks Joey! By the way, you should check out Metalneck Outdoors. He's a good dude and has a good channel. I think you'd like him.

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel I will check him out, thanks.

[@LostWoodsman76]

Never thought about debris collecting in those tubes. Good advice. From a critical standpoint I enjoyed hearing the natural soundtrack as opposed to music.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, leaf debris can accumulate. There's a chance that the leaves in the tubes won't kill the tree, but it's possible. For that reason, I remove them. Now grass and weeds...they can and will kill young trees. Thanks a bunch!

[@davestredulinsky]

A very good presentation of how you protect various young trees from damage by animals, both domestic and wild. Thank you for sharing.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks for dropping by! I appreciate it!

[@PappysCorner]

Thank you for putt'n n the time in for this informative content.!!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Just trying to pass along some of the information I have learned! Thanks Pappy!

[@bobmariano3731]

👍⚾️ great info & video . I was debating between tubes vs cages especially with my apple trees & deer . You answered a lot of my questions. Nice turkey 🦃

[@HappyTrailsHiking]

Great info and "how to" Chip! I haven't planted trees in our area yet, but we may. Thanks for sharing the process and techniques.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks Kay (I presume)! I read forums and what other people do for years before I started. I learned a lot (and still have a lot to learn), but I wanted to pass it on! Thanks for dropping by!

[@HuntingFarmerOfficial]

Good information! Definitely pros and cons no matter which direction you go. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@marshallhurt8814]

Great video as always, thanks for sharing

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

No doubt! Thanks!

[@AllenOutdoors868]

Great info! Never new you had to clean the tubes after you put them up.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I know there's another channel on here that has a lot more experience growing chestnuts than I do. I know he said he doesn't prune the trees in tubes, but I'm not sure if he cleans them out. It seems to me that the trunk might rot from wet leaves sitting on them. With all the time and money invested, I'd rather err on the side of caution and clean them out. Plus, the mice might like that leaf litter in there too.

[@BassFishingWithTKHeaven]

Very interesting, thank you brother. Something I’ll definitely have to look into with the trees around my new property in Illinois. I don’t think I have smaller trees, but the wife wants a lemon tree, so I will definitely keep this in mind.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I think lemon trees are tropical trees, so I'm sure you're going to have to either bring it inside during the winter or build a big cage and throw a bunch of leaves in there (I've seen people do that with banana trees).

[@BassFishingWithTKHeaven]

Light 'em Up Outdoors right on thanks for the advice!!

[@MooMooOutdoors]

Great info. If I were to plant a tree, I would go fencing option. A little more money and time initially but I think it's worth it when you don't have to spend as much time later and especially when the tree doesn't survive due to lack of maintenance. Great job.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I think you hit the nail on the head. The only exception I'd have is if I was planting a large number of trees. In that case, tubes are a good option.

[@houndsmanone4563]

Chip, I think my peach tree was choked out like you mentioned but it lasted for 3 years and then saw it's demise. Really good fruit tree info. I used to clear around the young tree regularly but still no success. Thanks, I'll remember your guidance if I decide to plant more fruit trees. Enjoyed a full-watch.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Fruit trees are a full-time job it seems like sometimes haha!

[@trophyshotoutdoors569]

Really awesome intro buddy! Esepcially useful since I am planting a bunch of fruit trees this spring, very helpful! Thanks for sharing!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

That's cool! How many you planting?

[@trophyshotoutdoors569]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel we try to plan a lot of trees Every Spring not only fruit trees, but just trees and general, I'd like to get up around 10 fruit trees this spring though..

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@trophyshotoutdoors569 That's great! I wish you luck with the trees! I hope they do well!

[@pierregaron1553]

Very interesting , thanks for sharing your knowledge ! Happy week !

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I'm just trying to pass on what others have taught me or that I've learned! Thanks for dropping by!

[@MetalneckOutdoors]

Another great video! Definitely worth a sub!!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks! I'll have a turkey video coming up soon when I get some time to do some editing!

[@HomeImProveMentHow]

Nice review and comparison thank you for sharing I haven't seen you uploads for quite some time I'm glad to see you're busy moving your channel forward oh God bless don't be a stranger by for now Ken

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks Ken! Yeah, I had gotten really busy with work and doing some projects. I got a little bit of time and put a few videos together here recently though.

[@ActNaturally]

Amazing video & channel, thanks for sharing! THUMBS UP 😄👍💖

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks! I do my best and it's a work in progress, but I appreciate it!

[@ScottsJourneys]

Nice work. the tubes collecting debris I didn't know would happen. Take care.

[@ColoradoMartini]

I have to watch out for raccoons. But they hate my dogs so will go to the next yard. You do the best job on your videos. I just love them. Thank you for giving our channel some love. You have no idea how much that means to us. You are a dear friend. oxoxox CM

[@sassysandy821]

Great information! Thanks for sharing!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I'm just trying to pass along the things I learned or was taught! Thanks for watching!

[@JENITABFWELLWISHESGROCERYHAULS]

Great tree care info. TFS

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks Jenita!

[@SimplyC194]

this is new to me interesting! i like the cage idea 👍

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I could have used your help when caging them haha! It's a lot of work up front but it is nice once it's done! Thanks!

[@COJ.Island]

Awesome share. Thanks and happy weekend 👍💚👍

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thank you!

[@GOODTIMESOUTDOORS]

Great video, very informative!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks!

[@jakedeal6508]

Good info about both of them, good work

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks I appreciate it!

[@BenjaminChavez]

Rolling this one again, good luck with your trees.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks bud! I need to go check on them and see how they're doing.

[@ClashGardener]

I like the idea of caging if the tree is big enough. Give it it's own little spot. Great video Bro ⚔👨🏻‍🌾

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

It's nice in the sense that it's you don't have to fret over pruning if you don't want and it's not as time sensitive to weed (young ones will die in tubes if not). It's more work and money upfront but it's worth it in many cases. Thanks!

[@TomokosEnterprize]

Hey bud. This season with you will be great to watch and see just how things come to be. You have great passion for the land you care for and I really hope all goes well for you this year my friend. Rabbits and porcupines can really raise hell on the wee sweet trees. I say put them all in the stewpot eh. Good luck on your turkey hunt my friend ! Take care fella !

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks so much Dean! Yeah, I love hunting, but I get a big kick out of watching the animals use or eat something I've done to make things better! I'd love to try porcupine. Never had the chance, but I recall watching one of those animals shows where a guy in Africa dug down 10 feet just to get one to cook up! I figured it must be pretty darn good to go to that effort haha! Thanks again bud!

[@TomokosEnterprize]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel We consider porcupine the ultimate survival food up here. You can kill them with a blow to the back of the head, the skin can be pulled off at the stomach and eaten raw without danger. The meat is salty nice too. They and the rabbits kill off thousands of pine a year by girdling them so most loggers will kill them both on sight.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@TomokosEnterprize That's really interesting Dean! I didn't know any of that about porcupine. I can't imagine there is a big list of animals you can eat raw without worry. Maybe you all need to set up a supply chain to feed us Americans quality porcupine meat! haha

[@TomokosEnterprize]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel I like it cooked best though eh. No teeth makes for too much gumming eh, LOL. Just take care when skinning and work from the center of the belly around to the back. Those damned quills are a real bugger to get out and sting like the dickens. The hide is thin but the quills make for beautiful art work.Take care bud. Love yer new opener my friend.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@TomokosEnterprize haha I imagine those quills do hurt. I won't ask how you found that out though ;). That would be quite a treat to try that someday! Thanks Dean! I appreciate ya!

[@BK42Cycles]

Good video my friend. Very informational

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks!

[@EssayonsFG]

Good information brother. Never thought of tubing our trees.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

You may not need them with your trees being in the back yard. With planting so many where the deer and other rodents go all the time, a lot of times they will eat them or rub them with their antlers killing them. I planted 100 persimmon and 50 chestnuts last year tubing 125 total. Most of the 25 I did not tube died. There's still one spot I need to check, but there's a chance every last one of them died.

[@EssayonsFG]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel Good point. The deer are not a big problem but the rabbits are like garden ninjas!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@EssayonsFG haha ninjas with sharp little teeth! :)

[@SproozGooz]

you are so lucky that you get to grow all of these trees

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

It's a labor of love for sure! Tough work planting them, protecting them, watering them, etc on a wide scale like that but it'll be a big payoff when they are old enough to produce!

[@HiddenMeadowFarm]

Good info. I’ve been wondering about the tubes. I have been using the cage method here at Hidden Meadow Farm. Tim

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I tubed 125 trees last year. I lost a few in tubes for unknown reasons, but they've done well protecting the hardwoods I put in them. They are a bit more maintenance though. For me, choosing between the two depends on how many I plan to plant and what type of tree I'm planting. Thanks for dropping by Tim!

[@FishingWithBIGD]

Very good info man , I have a pear tree that the deer keep breaking limbs off try n get the pears ... I'll have to try fencing it out

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, if they keep snapping off the central leader, they will kill the pear. I definitely recommend some sort of protection. If you're worried about rodents, throw some aluminum screen around the trunk too.

[@CDubsJourney]

Good informative upload :) I enjoy watching what you do. Happy hunting...gobble gobble ;)

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks C Dub's! I appreciate it! The next video is going to be about those gobble gobbles! :)

[@CDubsJourney]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel awesome;)

[@BBQPITDOG]

That was interesting Chip. Never thought about this but you have to protect them from the wildlife. Throw one of your turkeys on the PBC when you get one this week! Take care bud!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I did end up getting on yesterday. Wild turkey is something I've never smoked before. I'm kinda curious now how that might taste!

[@Shadeskast]

Looks fantastic. 🌲🌲🌲Tons of work.🌲🌲🌲 Good luck turkey season!!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yep, a bunch of work! I got some good footage and some that I wish was a touch better. I hope I can make a decent video with it with some time.

[@bsoutdooradventures9541]

I had to fence ..thanks for sharing! Love the info! I am doing straw bale gardening this year...excited. 👍👍🍑🍑.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

What kinda trees have you planted? Straw bale gardening is a good way to do it!

[@bsoutdooradventures9541]

We will have tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini...veggies mainly..lots of blood meal preparation but it worth it.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

That sounds like some good eating!

[@mvstormyoneadventures]

this is very useful information. very interesting, thanks

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thank you!

[@pgnanofarm9776]

I just got a new peach tree I will be planting soon. I was gonna plant this outside of my fenced yard. The fence seems like a good idea because we do have lots of wild life.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Fruit trees, at least in this part of the country...not sure about Washington, are tough to grow. It's humid so there are diseases that go along with that. There are also lots of pests that will eat it - deer, rabbits, mice, voles, woodpeckers, beavers, etc. I like to err on the side of caution and fence fruit trees. You can grow a tree 5, 6, 10 years and then something comes along and ruins it before you really see any production. I think it's worth it but hard to know if you can get by without it there.

[@richardmang2558]

I wrap chicken wire around the peach, nectarine, plums etc... trunks to protect from wild rabbits chewing off the bark. I make it big enough so there is a few inches of space all around and just from the chicken wire coming in a roll it is spring-loaded enough to keep itself wrapped together so you don't even have to clip it together, which makes it easy to peel off for weeding or removing the suckers growing from the roots.

[@Big_Johns_Life]

Thank you for this video I was wondering why you just didn't tube the new trees

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I had many fewer I planted this year and these were pear trees. They're a bit more prone to fireblight in the tubes.

[@TheCATFISH1949]

Just took me to school ... thanks for your knowledge!!! Live Action

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Live action, ye ye ye! Just trying to pass on some of the things I learned! Glad you could drop in!

[@pamelagonzalez9567]

Good info there thanks my friend :)

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks for dropping in!

[@LWYOffGridHomestead]

I like the fencing...I'm for low maintenance...good info

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, once you get the fencing in, it's less maintenance for sure! It's certainly more time consuming and expensive to fence, but there's some nice benefits with it as well!

[@LifewithKenandJane]

Listening while I play my new balloons. The only thing we can grow here is cactus. Love from life with Ken and Jane 🤠👍 Btw we really miss our garden we had in another home I built. This is really interesting. I have never seen that before. We had Redwoods 100 ft high in the front. Speaking of Bucks.... Jane and I were going out to gold camp, Jane said , look at that wild burro. It was a huge buck, over 200 lbs had a rack on it so big, it ran with its head back so you could not see the rack. I am sure it was a 5 point. Damn ! My balloon popped🤠👍🇺🇸

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I think you're on to something with those balloon instruments! 🎈 A redwood is a tree I haven't yet seen in person - only in books and videos. It's amazing how big those can get. I remember getting one as a kid. I planted one in the middle of the yard hoping it would grow big and tall. I'm sure my dad ran it over with the lawn mower before it had a chance to grow haha! It doesn't get much better than a big buck...at least to crazy people like me :)! The great thing about a balloon instrument is they are cheap and you can get a whole bag full of them for a buck! Rock on!

[@HealthyVeganLiving]

Hi Chip, I always thought tubing was in a river, but I see it has a good application here too. Good tree video 👍19👩‍🍳Gary

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I've had a good time tubing a river in West Virginia on my cousin's bachelor party years ago! Both tubing methods are good! Thanks Gary!

[@babychrisss]

We actually do this in our farm to protect seedlings .. nice video my friend 🤗 🇵🇭 Very nice

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Which method is that: tubes or fencing?

[@babychrisss]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel it depends on what kind of plant .. but usually fencing ...

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, there are definitely some pros and cons to fencing but overall it's hard to beat it if you can do it! I hope it's working out well for ya!

[@BenjaminChavez]

Great tips. I am lucky I dont have to deal with deer where I live, but I have to deal with lot of wind and other weather inclemencies.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, that wind is no joke sometimes. I've had the roofs from 2 barns blow off and a shooting house knocked over from tornadoes (actually one was the remnants of a Hurricane hundreds of miles away) that came through about 2-3 weeks apart. We usually don't get a lot of that though.

[@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid]

Great info! We want to plant apple trees on our land and are concerned about animals.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Apple trees are loved by so many animals! I wouldn't be able to grow them without protection. My advice for fruit trees is caging them to keep the bigger animals out and using aluminum window screen for the smaller animals. I hope you have some good fortune with your apple trees!

[@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid]

Light 'em Up Outdoors thank you. We will let you know!

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

Stopped back by for the link. :)

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Cool 😎

[@Scrizzapp]

New here this was Very informative thank you

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks for joining! Welcome!

[@madscientisthut]

Great info. Thanks for sharing this! like+

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

My pleasure!

[@bucktalesoutdoors7566]

Those cages you’ve got there ought to be fine for deer protection, mine were about 6 foot high..... just tall to keep out the deer, but low enough that the moose could reach over the top and nip the tender branches off my apple trees. Nice food plot there now, problem solved...lol Your place looks great Chip.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, moose have longer necks and longer reach, so I could see that happening. I've heard the bears are a problem for a long time with fruit trees when they climb young ones. Tubes sometimes get wasp nests, birds that fall in and can't get out, or even at times moles/mice looking for a home from what I hear. Fortunately, I haven't had that issue yet. Thanks Don!

[@HealthyVeganLiving]

Hi Chip having fun tonight. Gary

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

You're the best Gary!

[@HealthyVeganLiving]

Chip, Watching all night long. Gary

[@HealthyVeganLiving]

I need to review this Habitat Gary

[@InfiniteWanderlust]

Cool video

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks! I appreciate you watching!

[@JimmyCandFriends]

Thanks

[@CoffeyOutdoors]

nice video

[@user-lq2xs4gf8s]

Very nice ! Like 44. Have a nice day my friend.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks!

[@rachelarmela]

Sure protects against all the wild animals you gat over there. Nice one 👍🏼 ☺️ thanks for sharing 👌🏼 🐺 🐾

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, they can really do some damage if not protected! Thanks!

[@bar-bq2105]

Отличное дело!!!

[@dv9238]

Like ! Nice video !

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@krcoutdoors4566]

Nice

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks!

[@theshorefisherman1]

Good tips, though not sure I can use the fencing and caging in the suburbs. Too bad, as the deer eat nearly everything I've planted over the years.....

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Why wouldn't you be able to use either caging or tubing? I live in the suburbs. I see the tubes all the time where contractors plant trees and use them to protect the trees. I see a modified version of fencing as well.

[@twbishop]

instead of plastic, try wood chips for mulch. wood chips allow more moisture for roots and will eventually degrade into compost/fertilizer for the roots. for deer and rabbits, fencing can have a smaller diameter and fewer posts to reduce costs.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I have cattle on a portion of the property. Fewer posts would be nice, but wouldn't keep them out.

[@kreggdanuser2963]

Good info sir I made the mistake of using 6ft tall tree tubes and here in Oklahoma the wind ended up killing most of my trees. The tubes just can’t stand up to the wind

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

What did you use for stakes? I used Schedule 40 PVC pipe. I've had to put some back in the ground here and there, but that's not unexpected. The majority have stayed put. During a prolonged drought though, I have had some bake in the tubes. I was fortunate that they root-sprouted the following year though.

[@kreggdanuser2963]

Fiberglass stakes that were too short 😞

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@kreggdanuser2963 I'm guessing that was your issue.

[@WesLovelace]

Still like the fencing.because the plantings have more light....less possibility of heat & lower maintenance.....and the Browsers are kept well away from the new growth & the small ground critters aren't able to destroy the cambium layer!!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I prefer to fence too, especially if I'm planting a low number of trees. I planted 156 last year. There was no way I could fence all of them. The grass and weeds growing up through tubes is a big problem if you don't stay up with it! Not as big of a deal with fencing. No wasp nests either! Knock on wood, I didn't lose a tree to rodents. I've read where a lot of other people have though.

[@AmericanPirate]

I think that turkey was just taunting you right before the season opens 😉☠️

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

That's alright. I took out his buddy opening day! I'll be back for him I hope!

[@JB-fo7wg]

Did you find a difference between the tree tubes and fencing as I too have various 50 fruit Trees protected by the same tree tubes and although protected not seeing a whole lot of growth???

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I planted persimmons and chestnuts in tubes. Most have survived. One downside: there was a drought for an extended period of time in late summer one year (2020 or 2021, I don't remember). The tubes fried some of the trees that hadn't grown out of the tubes yet, but most grew back from the roots. The ones I didn't tube didn't survive. Could have been from deer. I caged pears and apples. They're a bit more prone to disease that is, in my best guess, more likely to occur in cages (hence why I didn't tube them). Tubes are easier and quicker. I think they might grow faster in cages though. I read studies tubed trees grow quicker in tubes until they grow out of the tubes but they are not as stout. Once out of the tube, they are eventually caught by non-tubed trees. Most of my trees self-pruned limbs that were in the tubes once it was out of the tube (other than the central leader). That tells me they want more light. That's my opinion. Others are free to disagree though.

[@UK-Blue]

I need to do something the next time I do some apple or weed😁👊👍

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Have you had any luck if you've grown apples before?

[@UK-Blue]

No sir... had a couple that I thought are going well, growing slowly over the summer one year, but then got eaten. I might have a go again but use tubes. Possibly even grow in a big pot for a few years if that would help protect from ground dwelling invaders....

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@UK-Blue Yeah growing them in a pot might help. Even when they get big, putting a small tube or aluminum screen would be helpful too. Sometimes with all the protection they still get eaten, but the odds of them surviving are much, much higher still.

[@JMtech25]

New Like, friend!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks!

[@GunsKnivesandBeer]

Great information. Now I know why my pear trees died.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Animals of all kinds love apples and pear trees! In the east, we have to worry about Fireblight, especially with apples. I doubt you do, so I'd bet it was some sort of deer, mouse or rabbit that got it.

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Good morning! It's been busy here and I didn't realize this is a different video. What about rabbits? Have you ever put short tubes along with the fence? Deer are the biggest problem here. Most folks use cages, but we had rabbits and voles eat the bark off our fruit trees and kill them a few years ago. Most years there aren't that many, but that year the voles (mice) were terrible. Some folks along the river wrap their trees with chicken wire really tight. Beaver get em!

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

No worries, I've been busy too, so I understand. I'm just now getting around to watching others videos from the past 8 or 9 days. I'm hoping to get a successful opening day turkey hunt video up at some point this week. I haven't used the short tubes with fencing but that's an option as well. I chose window screen in this case. It was worried about the humidity in those tubes encouraging fireblight (probably not an issue where you are) and mice to nest in there. I've read others mice and vole issues with tubes, but cross my fingers, I haven't had those problems with the larger tubes. I think the weedmat keeping vegetation back helps some. I hadn't considered beaver. At a certain point, you almost just have to applaud their efforts and try again or move on. Short of building a fort surround the trees, there's only so much you can reasonably do. I know where bears are, they will wait until the trees start producing, climb the trees and kill them. It's tough growing fruit trees!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel Some of the trees on the Fairground have fireblight, but I didn't know what caused it. They are older trees at least 20 feet tall. There is an old homestead orchard a few miles from here. Mostly apple trees, but a few apricots and one plumb tree. We have hunted bears in the fall there when the apples attract them. A few years ago, there was a big bear that climbed the trees and broke a bunch of branches. It killed about half of those trees. They have been there a long time, none of the buildings are there anymore.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@MuskratOutdoors Some pear cultivars are more prone to fireblight than others. Some live through it, some die from it, and some don't get it. I didn't think you all would have as much of a problem, because the heat and humidity is lower there. That's interesting though! That sounds like some prime bear hunting land there! I would cry if I raised trees that long and a bear came and killed them in short order!

[@MuskratOutdoors]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel I liked having those trees there too. We made apricot or plumb jelly a lot from them.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@MuskratOutdoors You going to go back and try to make some bear stew this bear season?

[@user-ve6uy1sf9c]

Привет друг!!!! все очень правильно

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks for dropping by!

[@BrianCrownover]

Hardware cloth rolls are great to fabricate cage.

[@SixHandWorld]

Might as well put more effort and investment in the beginning to ensure a better success. I can hear that Easter dinner in the background. 🦃🦃

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Yeah, it's an expensive proposition planting trees and a lot of work too! I agree with you! I got one for the table on Opening Day! I hope to have that video up in the coming days!

[@SixHandWorld]

@@ChipsOutdoorChannel Looking forward to it

[@fishydubsfishing6516]

dont get complacent when you take the tube off, i think your going to have to fence,you might get away for a while then thay hit you.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I think you're right. Although, last year I planted 6 pear trees. I took the cage from one and used it as a seclusion cage on a food plot. I came back this year to plant and that tree survived by some miracle. There was not a leaf on it last year. There were 2 or 3 deer beds 20 yards away. I have no idea how it managed, but I'm happy it did.

[@steved5023]

Let’s get to the meat! Which method helps trees grow faster?

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Studies have shown that trees in tubes grow faster initially but they grow tall and spindly until they get out of the tube. They then slow down. This is likely because the tube supports them and they reach for the sun until they get out of the tube. Once out of the tube, they need to thicken up. Caged trees may grow slower at first but they catch up later on. From my experience, I can't say for certain for a few reasons. Trees I didn't tube were browsed and killed. The other trees I caged are different types of trees (fruit trees). I would say if you can afford to cage, its the better route. If speed of planting and cost are factors, go with tubes. One final note, in periods of drought/high temps, I had some trees that baked in the tubes and died to the ground. Most resprouted and lived though. The ones that grew above the tubes were fine.

[@ChrisGilliamOffGrid]

🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳😁😉👍👍

[@krcoutdoors4566]

Nice

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

Thanks!