When and What after Grow Tubes?

[Belo]

After a tube has done its job with accelerated growth, I usually cut them off. Slitting tube lengthwise they tend to curl up tightly. I will recycle these into tree supports inside the cage I add when the tree is whippy without help.View attachment 80078

That's a really cool idea. But damn these tubes are expensive to cut them up haha!

 

[Belo]

See lots of failed tube trees driving around in NY. Not a big fan of them. IF watering is an issue, the ones that make it, cage them.

Can you elaborate? How do you see failed tube trees while driving around? In my research they are pretty widely regarded and I have a 2 year started from a bareroot that I believe will soon surpass the more expensive potted brother of his. While I haven't had 100% success, the ones that have failed for me I don't think were due to the tube.

 

[gurgalunas]

Can you elaborate? How do you see failed tube trees while driving around? In my research they are pretty widely regarded and I have a 2 year started from a bareroot that I believe will soon surpass the more expensive potted brother of his. While I haven't had 100% success, the ones that have failed for me I don't think were due to the tube.

I won't put words in bigboreblr's mouth, he may have info to add. But a lot of plantings done are to meet contract requirements ($) or done by DNR types that don't follow up with watering/weeding needs. Tubes are not magic, but do encourage more rapid vertical growth. Neglected plantings obviously fail at a higher rate, so success depends on the investment made after planting, whether started in a tube or cage.

As this thread points out, there are a lot of ways to get to a positive result. The thing these strategies have in common is that they are put into practice by people with enough interest in success that they hang out on a Habitat forum. The folks here are undoubtedly much higher performers than the average Joe...

 

[The Fishman]

That's a really cool idea. But damn these tubes are expensive to cut them up haha!

I don't cut the tubes when removing them. I usually remove tubes when the tree is 3-4 years old and roughly three to four feet out of the tube. I will do my best to slide the tube over the branches even if that means trimming a few branches. The branches are pretty flexible at this age. Trimming a few branches won't set the tree back that much and it means I can reuse the tubes without issue.

 

[Belo]

I won't put words in bigboreblr's mouth, he may have info to add. But a lot of plantings done are to meet contract requirements ($) or done by DNR types that don't follow up with watering/weeding needs. Tubes are not magic, but do encourage more rapid vertical growth. Neglected plantings obviously fail at a higher rate, so success depends on the investment made after planting, whether started in a tube or cage.

As this thread points out, there are a lot of ways to get to a positive result. The thing these strategies have in common is that they are put into practice by people with enough interest in success that they hang out on a Habitat forum. The folks here are undoubtedly much higher performers than the average Joe...

Yeah I could for sure see neglect being an issue, but almost the same neglect as if they were caged or uncaged with weed competition and browse. I guess I was hung up on how he "sees" them driving around. If you saw a distant shot of my property you wouldn't know any of the tubes were failed as most aren't tall enough to peak through the top yet.