There is a very inexpensive way to protect the tender bark of newly planted trees. For trees, their bark is just like important arteries and veins in the human body. Both are absolutely vital to have in good shape to supply the nutrients and fluids needed by the leaves, and branches in trees, and by muscles, and vital organs in humans.

Damage to bark reduces the vitality of the tree, and limits growths and longevity. White plastic tree guards are the best way we have found to protect the bark of young trees during their first five to seven years in your landscape. The white plastic tree guards cost from $3.00 to $6.00 each and are reusable for three to five years, so the cost of protection per year is very modest.

The most common causes of damage to tree bark are mice and rabbits eating bark, people carelessly banging into thee bark with weed whips and mower decks, white tail deer bucks rubbing their antlers on the trunk, and sunlight bouncing off snow banks in the winter. The white plastic tree guards protect against all these types of damage in the first five plus years, until the tree bark gets thicker, and the tree trunk gets thick enough that it is unlikely to be a target of antler rubbing.

We have three styles of white plastic tree guards available. Avoid using black drain tile, as it causes problems due to extreme temperature fluctuation.