Tree Tubes ?

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chadperr

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Middle Tn
Does anyone have experience with different tree tubes? I am looking mostly at the Tubex tree shelter and the Miracle tube, but info on all types would be appreciated. I have about 20 coming in December that I would like to protect from deer and other critters.

Thanks
 
Tubes are good they make the tree stretch for light and protect them from browsing until they make it out the top. Than you'll need to fence them off if you want them to make it. A buck will destroy a tube no problem and when the tree tops poke out the tubes the deer will eat any growth if their fruit trees.
 
I used tree tubes and had 100% survival on 25 trees. They grow fast and are protected but the trees are spindly. The only real drawback is the cost. They also make it easier to see where you planted them so you can find them in all the brush growing around them.
 
I used Plantra 48" tubes from here:

http://www.wildlifegroup.com/growsupplies

I've planted trees without them but never will again. They make a huge difference in growth rate up to the point where they come out of the tube because the tree is reaching for the light. And they give a fair amount of protection from bucks rubbing. Mostly because I think they disguise the tree so the deer doesn't think of rubbing it as much. I did have one buck that figured out there was a tree inside that plastic tube though.

If you are just planting the trees, I'd also use moisture mizer granules to hold water to the roots. It's sold on the same link I posted above. It makes all the difference when new trees hit that 1st Summer dry spell.
 
What Treefarmer said about the tubes being markers is something you will appreciate more than you know once the area grows up. If you don't use something easy to see (such as the tubes)to mark your trees, you can easily find yourself in a situation where your trees are getting overwhelmed with wild trees and weeds but you can't bush hog for fear of cutting the trees you planted. Since you have to mark them anyway, why not go with the tubes that double growth the 1st couple of years?
 
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Thanks for all the input. What is everyone using for stakes. Maybe too, what you have used as a stake that didnt work well. Also, has anyone used any tree tubes that they just did not like for some reason.

Thanks,
 
chadperr said:
Thanks for all the input. What is everyone using for stakes. Maybe too, what you have used as a stake that didnt work well. Also, has anyone used any tree tubes that they just did not like for some reason.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Glad you asked. :) I went cheap initially and bought the wood stakes. That is false savings for sure as they start rotting off within a year and have to be replaced. So much for my savings, huh? I bought a bundle of fiberglass stakes this Spring that I am replacing the wood with as they rot off. I got them from the same source I mentioned above. "The Wildlife Group".

I read somewhere - I think on The Wildlife Group website - about another benefit of fiberglass stakes over wood besides not rotting. The article stated that the additional flexibility of the fiberglass compared to wood allowed the tree to flex more with the wind which in turn required it to develop stronger roots to resist this constant swaying. I'm not a tree expert by the furthest stretch of the imagination but that sounds very reasonable.

Regardless of that last possible benefit, don't go with wood stakes unless you are willing to replace half of the every year.
 
Thanks for all the Info. I was thinking about trying to find some Bamboo to use as stakes, but may go with fiberglass. I do have a family member with at least several hundred Tobacco stakes if they would be willing to part with them. I also found study of several of the more popular tree tubes and it has some charts that compare them. http://www.caswellfp.com/Articles/MD_TreeShelters.pdf . Hope the link works. I may try a couple different kinds, just depending on the price.
 

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