Thoughts on Tree tubes for oak trees

[White Oak]

Back in late Feb I planted 7 Nutall oak seedlings from Bolu Tree nursery . I had 5 old tree tubes laying around , so I used them and for the other trees I made makeshift fences with chicken wire. I hadn't seen any buds or signs of life and I thought they might have been duds....BUT yesterday I checked and they were all leafed out. The one in the woods with a chicken wire fence looks great, and two in green tree tubes looks good too....the others in white tubes are just leafing out. Is it okay to use treetubes for oaks ? all the limbs and leaves look bunched up...but I know that doesn't matter because all the lower branches will be cut off once the tree outgrows the tube, so just wanted to get your thoughts . Regardless I think I'll leave the tree tubes on for a year...back in 2021 I had a newly planted crab and maybe a month or two after the leaves came out I removed the tube...and I think the sudden full sun stunted it growth. I will put proper fencing around the 2 trees with chicken wire now that I know they are living.

 

[Troubles Trees]

I used tubes on my oaks, I tried a few without as a control and they had a thicker trunk and seemed bushier but on average half the height. as opposed to the tubed ones that grew taller faster but roughly half needed to be staked once I removed the tubes. I did stake them all for peace of mind, to each is their own with tubes. I direct seeded all of them, not sure if that makes any difference on this topic though, but figured I would mention it. Bees were my problem using tubes but on my fruit trees I found burying them a few inches prevented mice and rabbit damage, a hardware cloth cage would have done that also so really it just comes down to your preference.

 

[b116757]

I have several hundred oaks in tubes I’m not going to say they are the only way to grow them but without any protection the critters kill or destroy a ridiculously high percentage of the trees.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I started with tubes just last year and have only purchased miracle tubes. It seems like a good idea to use them until the trunk is almost filling the tube for protection from buck rubbing and herbicide, but at that point they'd have to be cut off. Is that in line with what others are doing?

 

[ng270]

I started with tubes just last year and have only purchased miracle tubes. It seems like a good idea to use them until the trunk is almost filling the tube for protection from buck rubbing and herbicide, but at that point they'd have to be cut off. Is that in line with what others are doing?

Yes. Except that my tubes are perforated, so I let the trees split & shed the tubes themselves. I just pick em up when they finally fall off. My tubes had already been used 3-4 years before I got them, then I planted most of these pin oaks 11 years ago.

These are along a field edge so I leave tubes on as protection against rubbing as long as possible. One that has broken out in this pic, a couple that are still a year or two from doing so, and one in the foreground that is apparently in a very poor spot, so has been replaced a couple of times and still hasn't prospered.

 

[buckdeer1]

I tested tubes for oaks in Kansas before they paid for them on cost share.They came and inspected them every so often and after 2 years I had 74% still alive and this was alot higher than normal and actually made my trees too close together.After they start splitting tubes I make a smaller diameter cage and leave it to prevent rubbing for several years.I used treepro ventilated tubes,make sure solid part of tube is at bottom

 

[Teeder]

I've been using tubes on oaks for nearly 15-20 years. I've had great results with the Tree Pro tubes, which are split. So they're easy to open up for clean out or to trim the lower branches. I keep them staked until the trunk is about an 1" in diameter. Then I remove the stake and cut the tube down to about 4'. That keeps them protected, but allows them to sway in the wind. My early adventures with the tubes also included fertilizing. That made them shoot up tall and spindly. Since I quit fertilizing, I haven't had that problem.

 

[Wild Thing]

Yep - I have a couple hundred oaks in tree tubes - most all of them grown from acorns - some direct seeded, some started in Rootmaker cells and transplanted later.



You do have some annual maintenance to get them started well. I pull the tubes in spring/summer and remove all of the dead leaves and prune off the lower branches.




then place the tubes back over them. I like to create a little bermed up "bowl" around the base of the tree when I plant them so I can water them if needed during drought years.


I made the mistake of buying 4' tall tubes so I either have to pull the tubes up when they come out of the tops of the tubes, or cage them. I think I could have avoided having to cage them had I used 5' tubes. I do like the Miracle Tubes from TreeProtectionSupply although they are getting expensive. Fortunately, many of these tubes can be reused over and over again.


When I cage them, I will leave the tubes on for upright support for a couple more years as they come out of the tubes so fast at times, the stems are pretty wimpy.


After I remove the cages, I wrap the trunks with used tubes to prevent bucks from rubbing/damaging them in the fall. In the spring I go out and retrieve the tubes and use them again in the fall. Probably could leave them on but it really isn't all that much of a chore to remove them and then wrap them again in the fall until the trees get big enough that the deer can damage them.

 

[buckdeer1]

I always used the 4ft tubes and haven't had an issue.Not all tree pro tubes are split,mine weren't they would open up if trunk got too big.I don't like the tubes around the tree when the tree starts touching the inside as alot of moisture builds up on bark and it seems to remain soft.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Not really much to add from above other than to agree that 5 ft ones are better than 4 ft as the shorter height allows some tops to be browsed and reinforce that using tubes means annual maintenance like WT has shared.

For the naysayers that don't like tubes it simply is not a one and done planting and yes trees grow so fast they have to be staked when they get up to 7 or 8 ft. But that is the point, they grow stuff fast and get above browse height in a couple yrs vs caging and growth during first critical yrs at half the pace.

Edit: adding that I also use window screen inside all my tubes as tubes can have tendency to be a mouse house but using the bigger tube diameters helps combat that.

 

[Wild Thing]

I always used the 4ft tubes and haven't had an issue.Not all tree pro tubes are split,mine weren't they would open up if trunk got too big.I don't like the tubes around the tree when the tree starts touching the inside as alot of moisture builds up on bark and it seems to remain soft.

LOL - Your deer must be shorter than mine @buckdeer1 - if I don't cage my trees or pull up the 4' tall tubes, none of my oaks would ever grow over 4 foot tall. They would (and have) browse them down to the tops of the 4 foot tubes.

 

[Teeder]

After the tubes come off completely, I'll cut some red maple or gray dogwood branches and place them around the trunk. Stick them in the ground and weave the forks together and they hold up pretty well from stinker bucks.
I just cut these and stuck them there for a picture, but they're on the small side.

 

[Angus 1895]

Yes. Except that my tubes are perforated, so I let the trees split & shed the tubes themselves. I just pick em up when they finally fall off. My tubes had already been used 3-4 years before I got them, then I planted most of these pin oaks 11 years ago.

These are along a field edge so I leave tubes on as protection against rubbing as long as possible. One that has broken out in this pic, a couple that are still a year or two from doing so, and one in the foreground that is apparently in a very poor spot, so has been replaced a couple of times and still hasn't prospered.
View attachment 52656

I've been using tubes on oaks for nearly 15-20 years. I've had great results with the Tree Pro tubes, which are split. So they're easy to open up for clean out or to trim the lower branches. I keep them staked until the trunk is about an 1" in diameter. Then I remove the stake and cut the tube down to about 4'. That keeps them protected, but allows them to sway in the wind. My early adventures with the tubes also included fertilizing. That made them shoot up tall and spindly. Since I quit fertilizing, I haven't had that problem.

What is the spacing on the big pasture planting?

 

[Teeder]

What is the spacing on the big pasture planting?

Roughly 6 to 8 paces. I plant on the close side. By the time they need thinning, it will be someone else's problem.

 

[Knehrke]

I hate tubes, but as with most things there's an exception, and that's oak. My oaks, grown from seed and from bare root, have done exceptionally well in tubes. I think it may be due to their growing more slowly than other types of trees I've planted - and like Troubles said, they grow taller more quickly in tubes, but can get spindly too. Even with rodent damage and insects, I bet 60% of what I've planted has survived 5+ years. I try to get them out of tubes and into chicken wire cages as soon as they hit ~2" girth , mostly to discourage bucks from rubbing.