There are many ways in which animals can damage trees:

• Leaves can be browsed during the growing season, or buds and twigs chewed off during the winter.

• Bark can be stripped, normally during winter and spring, when other food is scarce. If bark is removed all the way around the stem, the tree will die, because the bark is needed to transport the water and food to the whole tree (in the phloem and xylem.)
• The main shoot is eaten, so the tree will not grow straight, & will start to branch and bush out.

Guards are used to protect young trees from rabbits & other animals

• Spiral tree guards

Made from a special plastic that will stand up to animals, weather and strimmers etc.

These are designed to protect young trees against bark-stripping by rabbits and voles. Quick and simple to install, being simply wound around the stem of the tree. Push the end into the ground around the base of the tree, to lessen the chance of the wind or animals dislodging it.

Individual tree guards nearly always cost more than the tree itself, but it is never worth planting trees unless you can give them adequate protection. Remember TopVeg philosophy of return on effort. Takes a lot of time & energy to plant a tree, so make sure nothing gets in its way.

Tubular plastic guards

These serve a similar purpose to spiral guards, but are made of rigid plastic. They cannot be fitted to trees with side branches below the height of the guard. They are more durable than spiral guards, but also more expensive.

Plastic mesh guards

These allow the air to circulate around the tree, so that fungal diseases do not develop so easily.

rabbit tree