What's the best tree tube?

[rocksnstumps]

Once they grow out of the 3 or 4ft tube I wrap some geo grid fencing around it to extend another 2ft protection. I make it cone shaped so it can flush out an blow around in the wind. Been working more better than 5ft tubes

Interesting idea but you gotta catch the tree growth before they get out the top of that short tube. My herd is like Tap with lots of delinquents and they get there quicker most times than I do to get some munch time in. I can't use bluex tubes either. The sidewalls are just not strong enough. They wail on them until the zip ties are pulled right thru the sides. Hardwood stakes unless beefy they bust right off. They have all day to kill time you know. Even the Miracle tubes take a beating but do hold up somewhat better. Dang critters.



I still have a good supply of 5 fters so will probably just keep going with those when I get low on fence material during crunch planting time. Just about everything gets a cage on it eventually. Sometimes its 4 or 5 years down the road, just need something to keep the bucks from rubbing them to death but at that point I don't have any pruning to do down low and use cages about 16-18" dia.

Here's what I do to restake 5 ft tubes when trees reach 7-8 ft tall with a couple of t-posts inline with the tree and allows decent flex. This one is almost to the point of not needing the stakes anymore. I use t-posts cause I have a bunch pulled out from old fence lines so cost was nothing.


However tubes and bears do not mix well. Still working on that area.....

 

[The Fishman]

I have put out over 100 miracle tubes in the last year and will be using another 150 in the next few weeks. I ordered them from https://www.treeproshelters.com/. The owner is a very nice guy who had the best prices. I called to order the tubes and wound up talking to him for almost 30 minutes about habitat related topics.

The miracle tubes themselves are great. You pull them out of the box, slide them down your supporting stake over your tree, tighten the zip ties and you are done. The zip ties allow you to loosen them also so you can slide the tube up if you need to clean out the tube. The tubes are vented at the top, but solid at the bottom so you can spray around the tube if needed. I would wholeheartedly endorse them.

I have used 3/8" to 5/8" rebar, 1/2" to 1" pvc pipe, t posts, cut down cedar fence boards, and chain link fence top rail pieces for stakes. I usually dumpster dive to find the stakes so they are essentially free. So far the deer have ignored my trees in tubes, whereas anything left unguarded gets nipped. As has already been stated, I don't think the deer target the trees, but as they walk along their daily buffet line they will taste anything that catches their eye. Unfortunately, one five second bite can set a tree back several years. I am down in the south where it hardly ever snows, so rodents have not been a problem yet. I think there is too much natural browse for the rodents to worry about girdling the trees. Your location may be different.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Today, I only use tubes to protect against rabbits, mice and voles. And, I only use them for that prupose because I have some left over from past attemts to grow trees in them - with little success. I think I lose more by putting them in tubes, than I would if I just left them without. I have not used the mesh ones, so I can't knock them. Try everything once and see what works best from you. For me, cages, not tubes, give me the best results. I should note, I am planting under a dozen trees at a time, not 100. I don't think caging is practical if you're planting 25 to 100 trees. Good luck, keep us posted with your results.

 

[yoderjac]

Interesting idea but you gotta catch the tree growth before they get out the top of that short tube. My herd is like Tap with lots of delinquents and they get there quicker most times than I do to get some munch time in. I can't use bluex tubes either. The sidewalls are just not strong enough. They wail on them until the zip ties are pulled right thru the sides. Hardwood stakes unless beefy they bust right off. They have all day to kill time you know. Even the Miracle tubes take a beating but do hold up somewhat better. Dang critters.
View attachment 22274


I still have a good supply of 5 fters so will probably just keep going with those when I get low on fence material during crunch planting time. Just about everything gets a cage on it eventually. Sometimes its 4 or 5 years down the road, just need something to keep the bucks from rubbing them to death but at that point I don't have any pruning to do down low and use cages about 16-18" dia.

Here's what I do to restake 5 ft tubes when trees reach 7-8 ft tall with a couple of t-posts inline with the tree and allows decent flex. This one is almost to the point of not needing the stakes anymore. I use t-posts cause I have a bunch pulled out from old fence lines so cost was nothing.
View attachment 22275

However tubes and bears do not mix well. Still working on that area.....
View attachment 22276

Bears and tubs don't mix well, but if bear want's something even the remesh cages aren't going to stop them.

 

[Native Hunter]

The best tree tube for me is the one I don't buy.......

 

[buckdeer1]

I have been using treepro tubes for years and I won't plant an oak tree without a tube,I don't use in walnuts or fruit trees.I tested several hundred for the state before they would cost share on CRP projects for them and after 2 years I was still at 75% of the trees were alive and growing.I use the treated wooden stakes as when I used the plastic conduit the tubes would slide around the conduit.I let the tree grow in tube until almost touching the side then cut off and build a cage out of 2x4 dog pen wire.You don't need to stake it as a buck won't rub with it sticking up 4ft.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Too often, my tree tubes morph into weed tubes,high rise rodent condos,and outdoor ovens........

bill

 

[yoderjac]

Too often, my tree tubes morph into weed tubes,high rise rodent condos,and outdoor ovens........

bill

Yep, it is a crap shoot. Proper use increases chances of success but lots can go wrong. If we exclude the inexpensive protection factor, I'd say for me, tree tubes are a 50/50 proposition. About half the time I get a good greenhouse effect and they promote growth. The other have of the time, they hold in too much moisture and promote mold, or become a home for pests or wasps or whatever and the tree suffers. If money and time were not issues, I'd use cages for everything, but when I plant trees like chestnuts in high volumes they are the most cost/time effective protection I can find. I simply eat my losses and lick my wounds.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Rit]

Has anyone tried tubes with cuttings? I figured even shorter tubes to let the roots establish would be better than nothing.

With over 100 trees scheduled to go into my destination field caging just isn’t an option for that many trees.

I’ll cage all the fruit trees but undecided on what to do with the rest.

 

[144]

Too often, my tree tubes morph into weed tubes,high rise rodent condos,and outdoor ovens........

bill

Or, in my case, 4ft Ant Mound hotels...


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[TreeDaddy]

Or, in my case, 4ft Ant Mound hotels...


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Hahahaha

forgot that one!!!!!

bill

 

[The Fishman]

Hahahaha

forgot that one!!!!!

bill

You also forgot green tree frog hotels. I think every tube I put out last year had at least one green tree frog in it. One of my tubes had a family of four in it.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I have been using treepro tubes for years and I won't plant an oak tree without a tube,I don't use in walnuts or fruit trees.I tested several hundred for the state before they would cost share on CRP projects for them and after 2 years I was still at 75% of the trees were alive and growing.I use the treated wooden stakes as when I used the plastic conduit the tubes would slide around the conduit.I let the tree grow in tube until almost touching the side then cut off and build a cage out of 2x4 dog pen wire.You don't need to stake it as a buck won't rub with it sticking up 4ft.View attachment 22278

BD1
That's exactly how I do my oaks too when they get older. Bark is rough enough so no window screen as rodents are not a problem but gotta cage em to keep from being rubbed too death.

 

[rocksnstumps]

You also forgot green tree frog hotels. I think every tube I put out last year had at least one green tree frog in it. One of my tubes had a family of four in it.

Somebody mention a hotel? Funny how many have the same observations...

 

[TreeDaddy]

.......i also forgot to add that tubes make great scratching posts for raccoons........

bill

 

[RyanJ]

This is a helpful post. We're looking at using those mesh tubes from Forestry Suppliers. Mostly because we have about 600 trees/shrubs to plant and I'd like to protect a good chunk of them on a limited budget. I'm hoping we can get several to grow and then slowly transition to full wire cages over the next couple years. Does having a rebar stake help protect them from the deer damage much?

 

[buckdeer1]

The tubes need to be tough,I think tree protection tubes are best I have tried but not matter what make sure they are vented half the tube and you install vents on top half.I am planting my tr.ees in sandy loam that dries quick and I still have over 75% after 2 years alive.I don't use on shrubs unless I am cutting up a bunch of old tubes to make american plum.I plant thousands of sandhill plum and they don'e get browsed so not an issue

 

[blueKYstream]

I used 125 Miracle tree tubes last year on 150 seedlings. Overall, I'm pleased with them. I lost a few, because I couldn't get to the weeds in the tubes quick enough. One or two the jury is still out in that respect. I may have lost 1 to mildew on the tree. I had to plant in cow and goat territory with some of them. They took out some in tubes and have eaten down some others not in tubes (persimmons), but not as many in tubes were effected as I expected. No animals have bothered my chestnut trees.

I trimmed up all the trees last weekend except one group of about 15-20. I'm thinking I lost 3-5 of 50 chestnuts overall. We had a really wet year with rain, but surprising almost no mold issues. Knock on wood, no mouse or vole issues. So far, I'm pleased with these tubes though!