I have tree wraps that look like the ones you used, although I spent more for mine by buying them from Stark Bros. I had great hope that they would protect my young trees. And they did, for a while.
Last winter, there were a couple of deep snows that, when combined with endless prairie wind and ridiculous cold, created drifts so high that rabbits were able to climb on top of the snow to girdle the trees. This year, I may have to create a chicken wire barrier a few feet away from the trunks and attach netting to the tops.
It's a lot less work to buy apples, but no matter how many times I tell my stubborn streak to just give in, I somehow always believe that "next time" I will be able to grow apples.
Losing anything to pests is annoying, but losing fruit trees is the worst. You baby the darned things, literally for years in most cases, and are looking forward to the day when you get to pick your harvest. Then, something kills the tree and you have to start over again.
My dad taught me that fruit trees must be watered once a week during their first year. So, even when we have that occasional rain -- which rarely happened this year, another drought here -- I faithfully haul water out to all of my new trees. And, yet, I have only had ONE tree that lived long enough to produce apples; it was killed last winter.
Good luck with the berries (I think all four of my red raspberry bushes died this summer, and the blueberry bushes don't look too healthy either) and with finding your "exotic" trees.
Last winter, there were a couple of deep snows that, when combined with endless prairie wind and ridiculous cold, created drifts so high that rabbits were able to climb on top of the snow to girdle the trees. This year, I may have to create a chicken wire barrier a few feet away from the trunks and attach netting to the tops.
It's a lot less work to buy apples, but no matter how many times I tell my stubborn streak to just give in, I somehow always believe that "next time" I will be able to grow apples.
Losing anything to pests is annoying, but losing fruit trees is the worst. You baby the darned things, literally for years in most cases, and are looking forward to the day when you get to pick your harvest. Then, something kills the tree and you have to start over again.
My dad taught me that fruit trees must be watered once a week during their first year. So, even when we have that occasional rain -- which rarely happened this year, another drought here -- I faithfully haul water out to all of my new trees. And, yet, I have only had ONE tree that lived long enough to produce apples; it was killed last winter.
Good luck with the berries (I think all four of my red raspberry bushes died this summer, and the blueberry bushes don't look too healthy either) and with finding your "exotic" trees.
