Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions. I don't really know how hard cattle or other livestock would be on mature trees in other regions and management systems, but I know that lots of trees can survive the pressures of livestock in my system: in my pasture rotations (mostly along the edges but within the paddocks) I currently have a sycamore, pines, alders, red oaks, black walnuts, red cedars, and tulip-poplars, and they've all done fine. Tulip-poplars and red cedars seem like they might be harder to get through the earlier years but not too hard. I hadn't initially thought pecans for a few reasons. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on these issues. First, pecans are such a large tree that they'd give me more shade than I'd need for the animals, and I don't think I want that extra competition with the grass. Secondly, pecans seem like awfully small nuts to try to find in pasture-type grass. Would bush hogging be sufficient to get the grass down low enough to find most of the nuts? Thirdly, what about manure contamination? I would want the shade most of all in the summer. Could I let manure fall under the tree all summer and then safely harvest the nuts immediately afterwards? On the one hand, I figure I need tall trees to grow above the reach of the livestock, which would make a crop that fell to the ground practical, but on the other hand, there are the issues of manure and finding the crop in the grass, so that leads me to think relying on ladders might be a good compromise. Any suggestions for a particular mulberry cultivar? Some varieties seem to have more tree-like form than others. I think I'd want a tree with a trunk that went straight up beyond where cattle could reach and then formed its canopy. ORwoods, you mentioned figs. I do have some figs near my barn, and I've noticed when I've had animals on leads walking past my figs (or when they've gotten out of the fence) that they've never seemed interested in the fig bush. Are there specific varieties of figs that could better be trained to more tree-like form (as with the mulberry)? What about kaki persimmons? Would they even get big enough? Could I get extra height/trunk by grafting a kaki 6 foot high on a D.v. rootstock? Could that work?

Hi, everyone. Thanks again for the help. Sorry for our late reply. We have been busy and still trying to set up something again with the plastic. :-) Hi, Harry. It must be very hard during hurricane season. I know I am emotionally attached to our plants already and they are all new and young still... Just hope Mother Nature doesn't get too brutal... Hi, Mango_nut! Thank you for the link. I have browsed it and will look at it in more detail. I would love to have a sapodilla to serve as a windbreak but as you have mentioned it would take too long for it to help us in the interim. :-( It would be nice indeed to have fruit trees serving as windbreaks too. :-) Hi, Mango_kush! Yes! Our neighbors have those cement blocks too for walls. For fencing otherwise, it is metal? With large gaps. But their trees are all mature... So I guess they don't have to worry much about the winds damaging young trees... Hi, Gomango! Wow, a lot of mango lovers here besides us! :-) That was what we were afraid of with planting windbreaks: 1) time it needs to be fully functional and 2) growth that will not be too vigorous so as to affect our fruit trees. I was thinking of bamboo but I read on the forum those are very vigorous growers and can grow very tall... If planting windbreaks, I will have to do so in containers. Unfortunately, the garden is too small for them to co-exist in the ground.

Regarding Imidacloprid Drench, soil inject, or trunk inject. Large trees must be proactively treated, before EAB causes noticeable damage. And if already showing decline, one must apply god-sent Tree-age product until tree recovers. Imidacloprid product must be applied just after ground unfreezes, which is usually April for us in the Midwest. Since peak uptake is needed between end of May and First of July, because Imidacloprid only kills Adults feeding on leaves, and Borer larvae's first two "Instar" stages. So Imidacloprid must kill off all young stage borers, before they reach damaging 3rd and 4th instar stages which Imidacloprid can not kill. Anyone in fear of killing off Honey bees or Earth worms, which settlers both brought over from Europe in 1700's. Must remove any flowering plants under treated tree that might also uptake drench or soil inject. Another proven option is applying Organic Tree-azin and Aza-sol produced naturally from India's Neem tree. Presently these are only approved products available in Canada. All the above only lasts one year, but Tree-age G4 can be purchased and applied by any common tree owner that lasts two years. If anyone would like to learn how to trunk inject themselves, using assembled parts costing under $2 bucks. Just contact me! Know that ALB Asian Longhorn Beetle had been totally eradicated here in Chicago. Since ALB spreads so slow, compared to EAB. Public should also be aware that 99% of Nursury trees arrive today with root flare already too deep in rootball. And require "Root flare excavation" before dug out of field, or installed on parkway. Also be aware that all young trees require "Formative structural pruning" to retain "Apical dominance" completed every few years until age 15-20. And also understory fruit trees with "modified crowns". Enjoy!

do you have the latin name of the tree??? .. its cold tolerance might make a difference ... we usually have to buds from cold damage.. if we want a spring flower show ... sun scald.. on the other hand is a trunk issue ... i have used 4 inch corrugated drain pipe ... to protect from vermin and sun .. but it allowed a lot of empty space for air movement ... but you have a tight nestled trunk ... am i correct in presuming your noodle is tight on the trunk ... i worry about trapped moisture.. and bugs ... im also wondering .. if within that temp range ... whether temps are not really an issue ... WC is bulletproof in my MI ... but flower production can be variable due to spring deep cold affecting the flower buds ... and i am positive it get a lot colder than 26 ... and if i could spell it.. i would tell you i have a kwanzan cultivar ... ken