Keeping your tree safe
While I discourage planting your Century Tree seedling in an environment where deer or livestock are present, it is sometimes unavoidable. Follow the tips below to keep your tree from becoming a snack for wildlife or livestock.
Deer Protection
Deer damage young trees in two ways:
- They eat the tree’s leaves.
- Bucks will rub their antlers aggressively against the stem when the tree gets taller, stripping it of its developing bark and critically injuring the young sapling.
Building a cylindrical enclosure around the planted seedling using T-posts and either wire netting, or a plastic deer fence, can protect your seedling from deer.
Failure to build this enclosure often results in disappointed customers when deer do extensive damage to the tree that they have planted and purchased.
Livestock Protection
Livestock will also eat the leaves of your tree if preventive measures are not taken. A similar fence can help keep livestock from doing damage to your tree while it grows.
Mowing Protection
Use a wire tomato cage or highly-visible stakes to make the boundaries of your tree more visible while mowing. This can be purchased from Home Depot or feedstore, you are can make them out of fencing.
This information was created by Andy Duffie '78