The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: bigtrees on September 03, 2018, 05:57:49 PM

Title: Seedling protector tubes & mice
Post by: bigtrees on September 03, 2018, 05:57:49 PM
I'm looking to doing a seedling installation of about 500 seedlings. Today, I'm a bit concerned about mice.

The plan is to lay down 3x3 woven weed fabric squares, plant the seedling, install the protection tube, and then install the sunshade.

When reviewing the plan, I realize that that the protection tube will be flat on the woven weed fabric. This means that if the tube leans sideways (animal issues, wind, winter snow, etc), there will be a gap on one side of the tube where critters can enter and damage the seedling.

I really think using the woven weed fabric is important. Has anyone tried gluing the protector tube to the fabric using construction adhesive? It'd add a bit of labor hours.

Other alternatives?
Title: Re: Seedling protector tubes & mice
Post by: Pjames on September 03, 2018, 06:38:25 PM
What about cutting a hole in fabric same size as tubes and let the tubes go in the ground a couple inches?
Title: Re: Seedling protector tubes & mice
Post by: Brad_bb on September 04, 2018, 12:24:23 AM
I can't tell what this looks like from the description.  What type of seedlings that mice would be interested?  

These are grow tubes that I use for grape vines and transplanting Walnut seedlings.  Their main purpose is to force the vine or tree to grow straight up reaching for the light.  It also provides a bit of a micro climate the first winter to help them get started faster in spring.  Depending on the growth, you want to take them off when the grow out of the top sufficiently, preferably while they are dormant, and so the tubes can still be easily taken off.  I've left them on for one season and up to 3 seasons.  I've never had mice issues with either one.  I don't have bucks scraping their antlers  on the Walnut until after the tubes are removed.  Most of the ones they've scraped all up have healed and are still growing. I don't use any weed block cloth, but you could I suppose.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/grow_tubes.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1536035019)