What to do if hares have gnawed an apple tree in winter

How to save a tree

Unfortunately, treating young apple trees with chewed bark is very difficult. After all, if the tree loses bark during the cold season, the consequences will be dire. There are several ways to minimize these consequences:

• Grafting the bark. This is a very labor-intensive and complex process, which, however, does not guarantee the apple tree's recovery. For this reason, this method is rarely used by gardeners;
• Trunk cutting back. A radical method that involves cutting the tree just above the lowest bud. The key is to do this before the buds begin to open, in other words, before their sap begins to flow. After this, the cut must be treated with garden pitch to prevent the remaining trunk from regrowing. That's all there is to it; all that's left is to be patient and wait for next spring: if the roots of the tree that was gnawed by hares are strong enough, they will be able to form a new shoot.

Thus, all resuscitation options are quite labor-intensive and risky. Therefore, if in the spring you discover that your apple trees have been eaten by these fluffy pests, it is better not to waste time and immediately begin replacing them with new trees.

Protection and preparation for winter

So, if the question of how to cure a damaged tree is difficult to answer, it's worth considering protecting the garden from hares. There are several ways to prevent hares from gnawing on your apple tree. What should you do? For starters, you can wrap the trunks with a piece of wire mesh, making sure it doesn't fit tightly to the trunk: this will prevent the rodents from reaching their favorite delicacy. And if the tree is very young and its trunk is rather thin, you can wrap it with a simple cut-up plastic bottle. For the same purpose, the bark of fruit trees is coated with lime before winter: this method is effective not only against hares but also against their smaller cousins ​​– mice.

It is important to remember that the protective wrapping material must be quite dense – metal mesh, plastic or roofing felt – since hares can easily chew soft materials.

But leave a small gap between the guard and the trunk itself: you don't want the metal to damage the delicate bark. As you can see, these furry, long-eared creatures, seemingly harmless, can cause serious damage to your garden. Given the complexity of tree rescue, it's best to make every effort to protect your apple trees from these uninvited winter guests.

Video: How to Repair a Damaged Apple Tree

This video will show you how to save an apple tree after damage by rodents.