Protect Your Trees for Winter

Hey Orchard Caretakers! Have you covered your bases for winter? Be sure your trees are protected within the next few weeks, as one of the biggest threats to young trees is winter damage caused by rodents munching the outer cambium of the trees.

There are many ways to protect the bases of trees from rodents, but this is what we do. It is cost effective when doing a large number of trees to get a 3' wide roll of fiberglass screen, available at most hardware stores. Here is a step-by-step to transform a 3' roll of fiberglass screen into rectangles that are roughly 18" x 10" so the bottom 1.5' of the tree is protected. It can be helpful to do this with a partner:

Step 1
Roll out the screen and hold it firm.

Step 2
Cut down the middle of the screen, making 2 strips that are roughly 18". It can be helpful to have a partner when cutting the sections and a sharp utility knife...just be safe.

Step 3
Cut the strips into rectangles that are roughly 10" wide (the larger the tree the wider it needs to be).

Step 4
Wrap around the base of the tree with the long end going up and down the tree and secure with twine or zip ties. The screen should wrap around a couple times, providing extra layers of protection.

That's it! Here is what your tree should look like with its new protective base:

Happening Now
For the second year in a row, ReTreeUS is raising $2,000 for its end of year goal. In just one week, we've received a generous $355 in gifts for our 2019 goals. Learn more about the campaign today.

Questions or Concerns?

Please email Richard or call (207) 319-4937. Thank you for all you do to create these healthy places in your school. Orchard Caretakers are the essential element to making the orchard system work.

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ReTreeUS · 4 Dow Road · Sandwich, NH 03227 · USA