Apple tree with severe rabbit damage
bunnyrampage
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (11)
Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years agorphcfb14
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Major Rabbit Damage on Apple trees how to fix it!
Comments (70)Thanks for the update and the pictures! Itâs good to know that your trees healed well. I was curious how they did because Iâve got a ton of rabbit and vole damage to deal with. Iâve got about 200 apple and pear trees in a fenced-in 60â x 60â nursery. The trees are 1 to 4 years old, ranging in size from less than a foot to 7 feet tall, with each one wrapped with a 24â plastic vole guard. Even though the nursery is surrounded by an 8-foot polypropylene mesh deer fence fortified with a 28-inch welded wire rabbit fence, it was no match for the 2 to 5 feet of snow thatâs been on the ground for most of the winter. With the snow higher than the rabbit fence, they easily chewed through the polypropylene mesh, and, in a single night, nipped almost everything down to snow-level (about 30â). The bigger trees are missing big patches of bark, maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of the way around the trunk. Oh - and under the snow, on the smaller trees, voles skeletonized everything above - and sticking out of - the plastic guards like piranhas. I saved what I could by wrapping what was still standing above the guards in aluminum foil, made some patches in the fence with poultry netting, and dug a trench in the snow all the way around the nursery. In the process of mending the fence (which took a few days), rabbits got in only once. They ignored all the aluminum-covered trees, and gnawed on raspberry canes instead. Once mended, the rabbits havenât got back in. As for the vole guards, they can only save the wood that theyâre guarding. I wonât know the full extent of the damage until the snow melts. It stands at a little under 2 feet deep right now. Itâs just devastating to see such damage. Heartbreak aside, my concerns/questions are: Will there be new growth (from the scion/variety Iâm trying to grow) if there are no visible buds? Is there anything I should do to keep disease (scab, canker, fireblight) from entering the wounds? Good luck!...See MoreMice or rabbit damage.
Comments (8)Vole...that looks like its BELOW the snow line.... all my rabbit damage is ABOVE the snow line (i got hit hard by rabbits, but no vole damage)... That area you grow in looks perfect for voles......See Moredamage to apple tree trunk/bark, what do I do?
Comments (2)Hard to say from the unknown size of the tree how much 1.5" is but going by my 3 year old trees I would say it will be fine on its own. I think even my 3 year old dwarf tree could deal with 1.5". But that would be enough to plan on replacing my 2 year old dwarf grafts. My roommate is good about weed eating trees to death. It's only a whack here and there (except for the new tree that he debarked clear around once), but a little bit every week for 6 months adds up. It took a lot of yelling to get him to stop weed eating the trees at all....See MoreRabbit damage on apple whip - need advice
Comments (6)Bemis: I agree with the other guys. Your Roxbury looks pretty good to me. Different varieties often have different growth habits, and I think the shorter side branches may work out just fine from the fruiting perspective. A young Pink Lady tree I have suffered extreme damage from antler-rubbing when it was just a bit older than yours. There were only a few strips of bark remaining from a section of the trunk over 2 feet long. I thought the tree was a goner, but it somehow grew in new bark and is fine and healthy now. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA...See Morejsvand5
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoKonrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agojsvand5
8 years agoKonrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agotugagardener
8 years agoKonrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agofireweed22
8 years agoKonrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years ago
Related Stories
EDIBLE GARDENSHow to Add an Apple Tree to Your Edible Garden
Readily available, beautiful and fragrant, apple trees offer four-season interest along with crisp, juicy fruit
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGCrab Apple Trees Set Off a Stylish English Courtyard
A structure of pleached crab apple trees, bordered by a wildflower meadow, links a minimalist addition to an old house in Buckinghamshire
Full StoryTREES7 Deer-Resistant Flowering Trees to Plant this Fall
If you live in a neighborhood with roaming deer, consider these beautiful trees that won't tempt hungry guests
Full StoryEDIBLE GARDENSWhy Grow Quince? For Beauty, Fragrance and Old-Time Flavor
Delightfully perfumed fruit and lovely spring blossoms make this apple and pear cousin worth a spot in the garden
Full StoryFALL GARDENING11 Trees for Brilliant Fall Color
Give your landscape the quintessential look of autumn with the red, orange and yellow leaves of these standouts
Full StoryFARM YOUR YARDIf You Have Room for Only One Fruit Tree ...
Juice up a small garden with one of these easier-care or worth-the-effort fruit trees for a mild climate
Full StoryCONTEMPORARY HOMESHouzz Tour: Strong, Modern Lines Stand Up to the Trees
Modernism takes kindly to the New York woods, with double-height ceilings for openness and a burbling creek for music
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESHow to Keep Your Citrus Trees Well Fed and Healthy
Ripe for some citrus fertilizer know-how? This mini guide will help your lemon, orange and grapefruit trees flourish
Full StoryARBOR DAY8 Reasons to Plant a Great Tree
Beauty is its own reward, but the benefits of planting the right tree in the right place go way beyond looks
Full StoryFALL GARDENING6 Trees You'll Fall For
Don’t put down that spade! Autumn is the perfect time for planting these trees
Full Story
bunnyrampageOriginal Author