4ft Tree Tubes - Still the "workhorse" tree tube height

Recent years has seen a skewing of tree tube sales from 3ft and 4ft heights to 5ft and even 6ft heights.  This is indicative of two factors:

1) The deer population continues to grow virtually unchecked, putting more and higher browse pressure on tree seedlings.

2) Tree tubes are increasingly being used by sportsmen to improve wildlife habitat which means

• They really care about the success of each individual tree, and the speed with which it will begin producing mast
• They are planting tree species that are especially attractive to deer like fruit and nut trees
• They are planting in places with high concentrations of (hopefully!) very large deer

In light of these trends it's not surprising to see an up-tick in the market share of 5ft tree tubes.  However, it's important to note that 4ft tree tubes still represent by far the lion's share of the tree tube market.  The 4ft tree tube is still the workhorse product that's getting it done, especially on large scale projects.

The reason is simple:  In the majority of cases 4ft tubes provide all of the deer browse protection needed for success.  Wilson Forestry Supply's web site puts it in perspective well:

• 4ft Tubex Combitube Plus Tree Tubes provide enough protection to grow trees past the deer browse line about 75% of the time.  Deer can browse trees emerging from 4ft tree tubes.  In most cases the tree will have enough stored energy to send a rapid growth shoot past the deer browse line.  However, in some areas deer will repeatedly browse trees as they emerge from 4ft tree tubes, not allowing them to grow taller.  In these cases the protection of the 4ft tube can be supplemented either with deer repellent or a 2ft Tubextender kit (sold separately).
• 5ft Tubex Combitube Plus Tree Tubes provide enough protection from deer approximately 90% of the time.  In areas with extremely high deer densities, the deer can browse trees as they emerge from 5ft tree tubes.  Cases of deer browsing trees emerging from 5ft tree tubes are most common with fruit trees such as apples, crabapples, pear, etc.
• 6ft Tubex Combitube Plus Tree Tubes provide enough protection from deer 99.87% of the time (OK, we made that up, but 6ft tubes are as close to complete deer protection as you can get).

 All tree planters have a limited, finite budget.  All tree planters want to accomplish as much as possible within that budget.  Given that, and in the face of deer browse pressure, there are two entirely reasonable approaches, both of which end with success:

1) Use 4ft Tree Tubes to optimize the number of seedlings you can plant and protect within your budget.  Then, if the trees get browsed heavily upon emergence from the tubes, supplement the browse protection with either a deer repellent or a 2ft Tree Tube Extender.  This is a way to spread out the cost over a span of a few years.

2) Use 5ft Tree Tubes and protect a smaller number of seedlings within your budget, but know with (almost) certainty that you will not have to supplement that level of deer browse protection.

Actually, there's a third way - one which probably makes the most sense of all:  Strategic deployment of 5ft or 6ft tubes.  If you are planting a field of trees, the deer do not browse them equally.  They hit certain species (fruit trees in particular, such as crab apples) harder than others.  They browse more heavily along creeks and alongside woods and cover.  A very effective strategy is to use 5ft or 6ft tree tubes on trees that are the most "at risk" based on species or location, and 4ft tubes on the rest.

This argues heavily in favor of choosing a tree tube supplier that offers a range of sizes and lets you order any quantity of mixed sizes, so that you can customize your planting to your exact needs, budget and goals.

Tree Tubes for Deer Protection: Choosing the right height

One of the most frequently asked question by new users of tree tubes is:  Should I use 4ft or 5ft tall tree tubes for deer browse protection?
 
Tree tube suppliers have traditionally explained how to choose the correct tree tube height is by suggesting that tree planters use 4ft tree tubes to protect from "moderate" deer browse, and 5ft tree tubes to protect from "heavy" or "severe" deer browse.  (Presumably that means that newly-introduced 6ft tree tubes should be used for "super mega wicked bad" deer browse!)

This "moderate, heavy, extra heavy" deer browse approach to choosing the right tree tube height is based on the ridiculous assumption that the landowner can actually know - in advance - how bad the deer browse level is going to be a year or two down the road when the trees emerge from their tree tubes.  That is asking the impossible.  

So I gave myself the task of coming up with a more rational way to explain to new - and old - tree tube users how to decide which height of tree tube will work best for them.  Here is what I came up with:

​Basis:  All tree tubes provide some level of deer browse protection.

4ft tree tubes provide enough deer protection for successful establishment 75% of the time.

5ft tree tubes provide enough deer protection for successful establishment 90% of the time.

6ft tree tubes provide enough deer protection for successful establishment 100% of the time.


​Decision Tree:  ​There are three equally legitimate strategies for using tree tubes to grow trees past the deer browse line:

1) You can save money (or protect more trees within you budget) by using 4ft tubes.  There is a 25% chance that the deer will browse emerging trees heavily enough that you will have to either treat them with a deer repellent or add a 2ft "tube extender" to get your trees past the browse line.

Note:  Some tree tube suppliers state that 4ft tree tubes do not protect against deer.  That is patently absurd, since 75% of the time 4ft tubes provide enough deer protection, and the rest of the time a treatment of deer repellent or the use of  a tree tube extender get the tree past the browse line.  To say that 4ft tree tubes do not protect from deer is like saying LeBron James never makes a free throw since he misses once in a while.

2) Spend a little more up front on 5ft tubes.  That added 1ft of browse protection is an insurance policy,  leaving only a 10% chance that you will need to provide additional protection for your trees after they emerge from the tubes.

3) Go with 6ft tubes and remove all doubt.  


I believe that this decision tree provides a more logical framework for decision making.  As a tree planter you can protect more trees with 4ft tree tubes within your current budget, but you might need to go back and provide more protection in the future, or you can protect fewer trees with 5ft or even 6ft tree tubes and reduce the possibility that the trees will need supplemental protection down the road.

 Both are perfectly legitimate strategies for successful tree establishment in the face of increasing deer pressure - and both make a lot more sense than expecting land owners to predict if their trees will face "moderate" or "heavy" deer browse in the future.  All deer browse seems "heavy" to the tree that gets munched!