Content
Many gardeners are faced with a situation where hares have gnawed an apple tree. Indeed, in winter, animals in search of food are not averse to feasting on the young bark of trees, which causes them serious harm. As a result of this, not only the top layer may suffer, but also the integrity of the cambium, which ensures the life of the apple tree. If measures are not taken to save the tree, it will die. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with what to do in such a situation to save the apple tree and how to protect the garden in the future.
A tree damaged by a hare will gradually dry out and then die if it is not helped.
What to do if hares have eaten the bark of a young apple tree
There are several methods for restoring culture after an invasion of furry animals. What to do in a given situation if hares have eaten the bark of an apple tree depends on the scale of the damage caused to the tree. Sometimes it is enough to carry out treatment or apply a therapeutic bandage, but in other cases it is necessary to resort to drastic measures.However, all actions must be carried out before the active growing season of the tree, before sap flow begins.
Treatment of damaged areas
Saving an apple tree if its bark has been eaten a little by hares will not be particularly difficult. In this case, it is necessary to clean the wound from torn edges and cover it with garden varnish or a mixture containing mullein and clay in equal proportions. Also, any antibacterial composition that can be sold in gardening stores, for example, Rannet, can be used as a healing agent.
After this, it is necessary to cover the wound with polyethylene and cling film, and wrap it with roofing felt on top to protect it from the negative effects of direct sunlight. If the cambium has survived damage by the hare, then by the beginning of summer a young, tender bark will appear. In this case, it is necessary to repeat the procedure. Roofing felt can be completely removed when the bark on the damaged area has matured.
If after the invasion of hares the cambium of the apple tree has survived, then the healing process of the wound will occur more slowly. In this case, it is also necessary to treat the area with garden pitch or another product and put a film on top, and then roofing material. But periodically the wound needs to be opened and small scratches made on its closing edges. This activates the growth of new tissue. After this, apply the healing agent again and apply a protective layer on top. Repeat the procedure until a dense scar forms on the area damaged by the hare.
Rannet accelerates tissue regeneration and prevents pest bacteria from entering the wound
Therapeutic bandages
This method also allows the bark to heal after a hare infestation if the cambium is not damaged. In this case, special dressings can be used.
As a medicinal composition you can use:
- Linden decoction. Pour 200 g of plant flowers into 250 ml of water and boil for five minutes, leave and strain.
- Copper sulfate. To prepare a 3% solution, you need to dilute 300 g of the product in 10 liters of water, mix and leave for 24 hours.
If hares have gnawed the bark on an apple tree, but have not damaged the cambium, you must first apply a medicinal composition, spread garden varnish on top of it, and then apply a fabric or plastic bandage and secure it. Periodically you need to inspect and repeat the treatment of the wound left by the hare. The bandage can only be completely removed next spring.
Engraftment of the cortex
In cases where hares have heavily gnawed the bark of an apple tree, it is necessary to resort to drastic methods of treatment. And engraftment is one of them. However, it is able to give results only if the cambium survives damage to the bark by a hare.
The effectiveness of the bark engraftment method is no more than 30%
Procedure:
- Cut off a section of the top layer for replanting from a thick tree branch, 10 cm larger than the area damaged by the hare.
- Apply it to the wound so that it completely covers it with a margin on all sides.
- Secure the bark to the trunk with tape or tape.
- Provide adequate care for the affected apple tree throughout the season.
- For winter, remove the fixing bandage.
Grafting cuttings with a bridge
This method is considered the most effective.It helps to save the apple tree, even if it has been severely gnawed by hares along the entire trunk. In this case, the function of transporting nutritional components is performed by the cuttings. They are young twigs taken from the same apple tree or any other fruit tree. The length of the cuttings should be greater than the size of the wound.
Algorithm of actions:
- Clean the area on the trunk damaged by the hare from torn edges.
- Treat it with a 3% solution of copper sulfate to prevent the development of fungi.
- Make T-shaped cuts on the bark above and below the wound.
- Sharpen the cuttings on both sides to an acute angle.
- Insert them into the cuts as deeply as possible.
- Cover these areas with garden varnish and wrap tightly with polyethylene.
It is necessary to cut cuttings for grafting in early spring before sap flows in them.
Cutting the trunk for reverse growth
This method of saving an apple tree after it has been damaged by a hare can be used when all others cannot be used due to the size of the wound being too large. Its essence is that the tree must be completely cut down above the lowest bud. If the root system of the apple tree is strong enough, then young shoots will begin to grow next season. At the end of the procedure, the cut of the trunk must be covered with garden varnish to prevent its further growth.
As a result, it is necessary to isolate the strongest shoot from the young shoots and remove the rest.
How to protect and cover an apple tree from hares in winter
To prevent hares from gnawing young apple trees in winter, you need to take care of their protection in advance.The choice of means is quite wide, but it is impossible to say for sure which will be most effective in each case. Therefore, to find the most optimal option, you need to consider each of them separately.
Repellent
This method of protecting apple trees from damage by a hare is the most humane. After all, this animal is quite timid, and any rustles, movements, or unfamiliar sounds cause him a feeling of fear. Therefore, having heard them, the uninvited guest runs back away from the suspicious place.
Therefore, to scare away hares from the garden, you can tie empty tin cans, New Year's tinsel, plastic bags, and red ribbons soaked in tar to the lower branches with a wire. However, many gardeners note that over time, animals get used to unfamiliar sounds and subsequently do not pay attention to them.
Therefore, to scare away hares, it is best to use special ultrasonic devices. They emit an irritating signal that is imperceptible to the human ear. Hearing him, the hares try to quickly leave the garden and run to a safe distance. The disadvantage of such a device is that it runs on batteries, which must be changed periodically. And for this you will need to regularly travel to the dacha in winter.
tree fencing
You can protect young apple trees from hares in winter using special fences. The best option is a fine-mesh metal or plastic mesh, as it allows light to pass through and provides reliable protection. It is recommended to install the fence 120 cm high and bury it 30 cm into the soil, since these animals are able to jump over or crawl underneath.
The mesh around the trunk must be installed at a distance of 20-30 cm from the trunk
Wrapping trunks
You can also protect apple trees from hares in winter by wrapping the trunk with protective agents. For this, it is recommended to use roofing felt, polyethylene. The material must be tightly wrapped around the trunk and the lower part of the skeletal branches, and then securely fixed on top. However, the disadvantage of polyethylene and roofing felt is that under them during the thaw period in winter it heats up and the bark can become warm, so they need to be removed at this time, which is not always convenient.
You can also use spruce branches to protect apple trees from hares in winter. According to experienced gardeners, this method is very effective, but labor-intensive. Spruce branches must be tied to the tree trunk so that the needles point down. And in the lower part of the apple tree, to protect it from hares, it is necessary to cover it with earth and compact the surface.
Trees must be wrapped with spruce branches to a height of 1-1.2 m. And carefully secure the layer on top with a rope. The spruce branches reliably protect not only from hares, but also from rodents, while allowing air to pass through well, which eliminates the possibility of the bark becoming warm.
You can also use agrofibre or sugar burlap to wrap trees in the garden. These materials protect not only from hares, but also from temperature changes. They do not need to be removed when there is a thaw, as they allow air to pass through well. It is recommended to apply the protective layer in a spiral, so that the new layer is on top of the previous one.
Barrel surface treatment
Treating the surface of the trunk with special compounds also helps protect apple trees from hares in winter. This method is considered the simplest but most reliable.To obtain an effective composition, you need to mix clay and mullein in equal proportions and add a little warm water so that the consistency of the solution resembles thick sour cream. To increase the effectiveness of the hare repellent, experienced gardeners recommend adding 1 tbsp. l. carbolic salt per 10 liters of mixture and mix thoroughly.
The repellent mixture should stick to the trunk and not flow down
After this, apply the composition in an even layer on the tree trunk and the lower part of the skeletal branches so that the hares, standing on their hind legs, cannot reach the untreated bark.
To protect apple trees in winter, you can apply another composition to the surface of the trunk, the smell of which will be unpleasant to furry animals. To prepare it, you need to mix 500 ml of vegetable oil and 2 liters of creolin. This mixture repels not only hares, but also has a destructive fumigation effect on ticks, bedbugs, and the larvae of other wintering pests. In addition, the treatment creates a protective film on the trunk, which helps protect the bark from temperature changes and prevent cracks from appearing on it.
You can prepare a rabbit repellent mixture in another way. To do this, you will need to mix 500 ml of vegetable oil, 1.5 kg of grated laundry soap, 200 ml of turpentine and 150 g of naphthalene.
Other
To avoid damage to apple trees by a hare in winter, it is recommended to clean the garden in the fall. It includes mowing grass, trimming bushes and trees, and raking fallen leaves. The more free space between the trees, the less likely it is that long-eared animals will invade the garden.
Hares cannot stand the smell of hot black pepper. Therefore, hanging the seasoning in bags on the lower branches of the tree helps to scare them away.
How to keep apple tree seedlings safe from hares in winter
Young apple tree seedlings suffer more from the invasion of hares. Because their bark is juicy and is an excellent treat for furry animals. To protect seedlings from damage, it is necessary to provide them with reliable protection.
Possible options:
- Plastic bottles. Their cylindrical shape helps protect the trunks of seedlings, and the sound of the plastic scares away hares. To do this, you need to cut them lengthwise and put them on a standard in the form of clamps.
- Nylon tights. They are recommended to be used for wrapping the trunks of seedlings. Each subsequent layer of material must be on top of the previous one. Finally, you need to securely fix the tights at the top and bottom.
- Dog. The dog's barking frightens the hares so much that they do not even risk approaching the garden where it can be heard.
Conclusion
If hares have gnawed an apple tree, it is necessary to take urgent measures to save it, without waiting for the spring warmth. Otherwise, nutritional components will not be able to flow from the root to the crown, and this will not only weaken the tree, but also, if severely damaged, will cause its death. To avoid having to save all the trees in the garden in the future, it is necessary to worry about their protection in the fall.
