When it comes to winterizing the yard, trees often fall to the back of our minds. However, winter brings its own set of challenges, including hungry wildlife targeting trees and leaving damage.
When other natural food sources are scarce in the depths of winter, deer, rabbits, and rodents often chew on tree bark, twigs, and dormant buds. It can leave trees weakened, girdled, and generally exposed to frosty conditions. That's where these $29.99 Amazon tree guards come in. They're one of the best winterizing tools, simply create a barrier around the tree trunk to stop wildlife from damaging it.
The best part about these particular tree guards is that they're expandable, so you can install them to fit trees of different sizes. Those who have already bought them note, 'The mesh material is durable and provides adequate ventilation, helping prevent issues like rot or mold,' giving me reassurance they won't harm my trees. So, if you're looking for effective ways to keep deer away from your trees this fall and winter, this is an affordable option to consider.
Place these tree guards around tree trunks to protect from animal damage. Each guard measures 10 inches in height and 15 inches in width and can be connected to create an expandable guard for a bigger tree. The guards have a breathable design to prevent excess moisture becoming trapped inside. They're also reusable, durable, and lightweight.
Why Use a Tree Guard?
Protecting trees from winter weather and animal damage is all part of winterizing your yard to keep your plants safe.
A mesh barrier like the Amazon tree guards is one of the easiest ways to stop animals, including deer and rodents, chewing and damaging tree bark. Not having a protective measure in place can leave your trees open to damage from frost, susceptible to disease, and weak.
You can also opt for a tree wrap (like this one from Walmart) which is a softer, breathable material intended to provide insulation and protection from the elements, rather than animal damage specifically.
The reason the likes of deer target trees during winter is that other food sources are much harder to come by. They may even use antlers to cause damage to tree bark, rubbing the outer protective layer to get to softer tissue to consume. It's known as 'woody browse.'
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Of course, you can still help feed wildlife in winter by protecting your trees and putting other food sources in place. This includes specifically growing plants for them to carry out this 'woody browse,' including brambles, red twig dogwood (like this from Trees.com, formerly Fast Growing Trees), and yarrow. You can also create a wildlife pile of woody trimmings for deer and other backyard wildlife.
The Amazon tree guards have a 4.3-star rating with plenty of reviews from shoppers that give me confidence in their quality and effective function.
'[They're] are a great solution for safeguarding young trees and saplings. Each protector is 15 inches [wide] and made from expandable mesh, offering excellent coverage around the trunk and bark,' one five-star reviewer describes.
The tree guards are expandable by connecting as many of the panels as needed. This makes it versatile and reusable on different types of trees that may need protecting at any point in your garden.
'Installation is straightforward, and the guards stay securely in place once fitted,' the same shopper shares.
As for their function, customers are satisfied at the protection they offer.
'These are great, flexible, durable and work perfect for keeping my new trees safe from being eaten by deer,' one person writes.
'I've been using them for three years already. Before them, rabbits ate almost everything. Roses, fruit trees, berry bushes, flowers. And when I bought these [guards], the rabbits [couldn't] reach them. They are tall enough, and look good,' another shopper shares.
I particularly like the fact the guards are a dark green color and simple in design, so they won't create an eyesore in the garden landscape. In fact, there is also an option for the Amazon tree guards in brown and the Amazon tree guards in black.
The fact they are constructed of flexible plastic and are weatherproof is reassuring that they will last for many seasons of use.
Of course, it's also hugely beneficial that the tree guards have a mesh design to allow for airflow. This prevents moisture becoming trapped, helps regulate temperature against the tree bark, and helps reduce the risk of fungal disease during the incoming wet and cold seasons.
The one concern to note among the reviews is that the individual panels need reinforcement to hold together securely.
'These tree guards do the job but the tabs, as others have stated, don't click together well so the little zip ties they send along come in very handy,' one person writes.
'Must be tied together with the included zip ties,' another person shares.
Nevertheless, zip ties are included in the set for this purpose, so it's an easy resolution, though it may perhaps make the tree guard a little more unsightly.
Overall, for just $29.99 and with the ability to customize these tree guards to the desired size, this is an affordable and easy way to keep trees and young plants safe from hungry wildlife this winter.
What to Shop
These sturdy metal mesh tree guards provide a protective barrier from wildlife, stopping damage to tree bark.
These burlap tree wraps provide a breathable cover for tree trunks in winter, protecting from frost and providing some insulation.
Use these plant frost covers to protect smaller trees and potted plants. They're breathable and have a drawstring to secure the cover in place.
There are lots of things to do to prepare your yard from frost. As well as protecting tree trunks with guards like this, you can also cover plants for frost and relocate pots and planters to protect them from frost damage.
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