Tree Shelters - Forestry Journal

Tree SheltersCarolyne Locher takes us through our annualround-up of products available.Tree shelters, first trialled by theForestry Commission to protectbroadleaf plantings in the earlystages of growth in the 1980s, arenow accepted by the global forestryindustry as an aid to the establishmentof conifers, broadleaves andhedges.Tree shelters can offer faster establishment,increased survival rates,root protection, fewer side shoots,easy tree identification and protectionfrom grazing animals (voles,rabbits, hares, squirrels, deer andsheep). Additional benefits includeherbicide protection, weed controland the creation of a microclimatewithin the tube that encouragesrapid stem growth in a tree’s earlyyears, again enhancing establishmentand survival rates.Shelters come in various forms.Rigid plastic tubes are commonbut need replacing as the treesoutgrow them. Expanding guardslast longer but are more expensive.Spiral guards are a flexible, low-costalternative. Mesh shelters allow saplingsto move more freely and theresulting flexing can strengthen thestem and encourage root development.Some experts suggest thatthese suit our warming climate.Tree stakes should be used inconjunction with some of the productsdetailed below; the companieslisted will be happy to offer furtheradvice.Questions to consider whenchoosing a style of tree shelterinclude the size and type of theplanting stock, the site and plantingconditions, the local climate andlocal growing conditions, the risk ofanimal damage, the managementregime, budget and availability oflabour.Acorn Planting Products Ltd, basednear Norwich, has 25 years of treeshelter manufacturing experience.Their Shelterguard tree shelterhas a unique two-stage degradationprocess, designed to providea full shelter environment for thefirst 3–5 years, offering protectionfrom herbicide sprays and stimulatinggrowth. As the polythenefilm begins to degrade it offersprolonged browsing protection ina well-ventilated and sturdy nettingguard.Shelterguard tree shelters comewith pre-fitted nylon ties in diametersof 80 to 110mm and in a rangeof heights – 60cm, 75cm, 90cm,1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m. Where ‘onesize does not fit all’, Acorn offers50-metre Shelterguard rolls inwidths of 30cm, 46cm and 60cm.The whole range is complementedby a wide selection of ancillaryproducts.Acorn has also launched theirTubex Ventex tree shelter, with twin-wall tubular construction, laser-generatedperforations, and abrasion-reducing flared rim.‘Bio Shelter’ range, designed in conjunctionwith a specialist plasticsfirm. Bio Shelters ensure browsingprotection along with biodegradabilityafter 7 years, for just 20%more than the cost of a standardshelter. If price proves prohibitive,Acorn has finalised an arrangementwith Agri.cycle, a farmer-ownedcompany operating to make it possiblefor all spiral, tree guards andpackaging to be recycled througha series of collection ‘hubs’ (www.agri-cycle.uk.com).Acorn has also developed a new80mm Squirrel Guard designed tostop squirrels climbing up the trunkand damaging bark and the crown.Enquiries from parties interested intrialling the product are welcomed.Acorn 01508 528763www.acorn-p-p.co.ukBased in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire,Ansini’s Spiral Tree Guardsoffer sapling protection made from100% recycled plastic, in finishes ofclear, brown or green, with ‘ventilation’if required. The tubes are40mm or 50mm diameter, withlengths of 45cm, 60cm or 70cm,wrapped together in nests of 5 inboxes of 250.Ansini’s spiral guards offer protectionfrom rabbits, hares and systemicherbicides for up to five yearsand expand with the growth of thetree or shrub. After five years, theplastic starts to degrade, becomingbrittle and breaking down intoharmless small particles, thus reducingthe need for staff to spend extratime on removal.Ansini 01623 812333www.spiraltreeguard.com(Left)Green‐tech’sFortetubStandard shelter.(Right) Insideview of theDefender treeshelter.Used within the UK forestry andlandscaping sectors for 20 years,Defender Tree Shelters are madefrom 100% recyclable twin-walledpolypropylene, and offer a perfectmicroclimate for saplings, whilstprotecting against herbicide andsmall animal damage.Shelters are delivered flat-packed,in bundles of 10 (1500 x 1.2 metreson a single pallet) and springback into shape when unpacked.Available in green, they are quickto install (no plastic ties) and simpleto maintain, slipping on and off thestake with ease. The robust contact20www.forestryjournal.co.ukForestry Journal 10/09

(Left) The Shelterguard from Acorn Planting Products has a two-stage degradation process, though Acorn now also offers biodegradable shelters. (Centre) FarmForestry Balance 1.5m shelter splitting, with the stake still in place – no damage to tree. (Right) Ansini’s spiral guard.between stake and shelter givesmaximum stability with no risk ofthe shelter breaking away from thestake. Eventually the Defender splitsnaturally along the corners to avoidtree strangulation.Low in price, the Defender hasa cross-section of 80mm by 80mmand is available in 5 lengths, 60cm,75cm, 90cm, 120cm, 150cm.Smaller section ‘Mini’ and ‘Mini+’Defenders are also available forhedging and budget applications.Campbell McEwan, Shelter Woodland01669 620000Green-tech has been supplying treeshelters to the UK landscape andforestry market for 15 years. Sales ofthe Green-tech Fortetub StandardTree Shelter have increased due toits competitive price and its innovativeand durable twin-wall construction.Made from environmentallyacceptable polypropylene, theStandard is a rigid tube with bevellededges to help prevent abrasionand comes pre-fitted with releasablecable ties. The green-tinted sheltercreates a microclimate aroundthe sapling, which prevents overheatingby allowing for condensationand reducing moisture loss.The Standard shelter is availablein diameters of 7.5cm or 10cm,with height options of 0.6 metres,0.75m (nests of 5; 250 per bundle)and 1.2 metres (nests of 4; 140 perbundle).With all the benefits of theirStandard model, Green-tech’sFortetub EcoTub Tree sheltercomes in two smaller diameters ofeither 6cm or 6.7cm and heightsof 1.6 and 1.75 metres (nests of 2;bundles of 200).Vented tubes are available in boththe Standard and EcoTub models forthose customers with windy sites.Green-tech 01423 332100www.green-tech.co.ukwww.fortetub.co.ukBased in Shropshire, Farm ForestryCo Ltd’s British-made transparentSpiral Shelters are as ideal for hedgingas they are for broadleavedforestry plantings.Although Farm Forestry recommendstransparent spiral shelters,they are also available in brown,green or tinted. The 35/40mmdiameter shelters are available inlengths of 45cm, 60cm or 75cm,and sold in bags of 250.The slightly wider 50mm diametershelters allow longer rabbit protectionand are available in 60cmor 75cm lengths, with holes forventilation, or without for chemicalprotection.Farm Forestry also offers whatthey consider is a lower maintenanceand more economicaloption shelter than tubes. Their‘Continental’ Fine Mesh Shelter(stretchable fine mesh from top tobottom) and New ‘Balance’ Shelter(with herbicide shield below andstrong fine non-stretchable meshabove) are 120mm in diameter andmade from photodegradable HDPE(high density polyethylene) with UVstabilisers. The mesh microclimateencourages stronger stem growthwith no moisture build-up againstthe side wall of the shelter, lesswind resistance and better chemicalcontrol at the tree base. Themesh offers easy assessment of treemortality in autumn and bird friendliness– allowing birds to walk upthe mesh walls after eating insects.Still a relatively new product whencompared to a traditional tube,maturing plantings utilising meshshelters are now proving that theycan provide a viable alternative totube protection, with lower aftercarecosts.Farm Forestry Co Ltd01588 650 496sales@farmforestry.co.ukwww.farmforestry.co.ukAfter nearly 30 years in the marketplace,Tubex has ‘smartened up itsimage’ with a new logo and a newstrap line: ‘Advancing Growth’.Tubex tree shelters are madefrom environmentally harmlesspolypropylene and come in translucentgreen or brown. They aredesigned to break down via exposureto sunlight after a plannedperiod of time (around five yearsfor standard types). Features onmost Tubex tree shelters include ananti-abrasion flared rim, a durabletwin-wall construction with lasergeneratedperforation lines (whichburst as the tree fills the tube), builtinstrengthening rods and pre-fittedreleasable ratchet ties.As a general rule, Tubex saysthat slender planting stock is bestaccommodated in their narrowerEcoStart tubes with diameters of57mm to 73mm, in heights of 0.6mor 0.75m, delivered in nests of 3and bundles of 150. Larger stockis better suited to Tubex’s StandardTree shelter in diameters of 73mmto 105mm, with heights of 0.6m,0.75m and 1.2m, delivered in nestsof 5 and in bundles of 100, or theStandard Plus range with heights of1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m, and diametersfrom 80mm to 120mm, deliveredin nests of 5 and with 60 perbundle.The pale green ‘Equilibre’, knownas Ventex in the UK, is Tubex’smost popular tree shelter in Europe.Warm air in the tube rises, drawingcooler air in through ventilationholes on the lower part of thetube. This cools the tree, maintainingoptimum growing conditions,particularly in warmer climates.With the same specification as theStandard Tree Shelter Plus range,Tubex Ventex comes in an additionalheight of 0.9m.Netguard is supplied in pre-cutpieces or rolls and is fastened withtwo releasable ties. Easily installedaround larger trees or shrubs, itprovides a guard against grazinganimals only. Dark green, it comesin bundles of 100 with heights of0.6m or 1.2m and diameters of100mm to 250mm.Tubex can provide stakes/canesfor all types of shelter and theirwebsite offers a series of helpfulcustomer guides.Tubex 01685 888000www.tubex.comForestry Journal 10/09 www.forestryjournal.co.uk21