OK, I'm getting ready to order some trees from the NYS Nursery to plant on my farm. I have done some research and I am going to use some tree shelters. For a long time I was going to use Blue-x shelters from growtube.com but the other day I found shelters at treepro.com . Has anyone had any experience, either good or bad with either of these products. The Treepro.com website says that ventilation in the tube is very important, and I don't think the growtube.com tubes vent. Any opinions/thoughts? Next, I have heard that you should put some fabric or mulch around the base of the tree to keep the weeds down and moisture in. I was thinking that a few sheets of newspaper might do the same thing. I would be biodegradable, readily accessable, and free. if not, my local highway department has free mulch avaialble, but it hasn't composted yet, just chipped christmas trees and yard debris. any thoughts on the benefits or drawbacks of using this mulch. Your comments are appreciated. I could also do a little of my own research, and do it myself, but if I can avoid it, I don't want to reinvent the wheel. Thanks.

I would put Mulch down as newspaper will dissapear to fast.... using much is good to keep the dirt moist and weeds down and also when it decomposes its good for the trees..... We don't use collars with vent in them and don't have any problems at all and we have a nursery with hundreds of trees in the tree fields..... Well i shouldn't say none of them have vents some of our stuff has holes and some don't...

something else to think about, i don't know how big your trees are that your planting but i would make some wire cages around them to keep the deer and rabbits and squirrels from getting to them and eating the leaves and bark...

I've been happy with the BlueX tubes. I use old carpet around the trees to keep the weeds down and keep the soil moist.

tubes with vents are good for growing vines on, you will stills get vines on ventless tubes but not nearly as much

I used this type of mulch for my apple & pear trees - and 12 ft of chicken wire around each.

The confiers I planted - I used no tubes or mulch.



I planted pines & spruce about 5 years ago.

FH