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galagala_gw

Rabbit Damage

galagala
10 years ago

Just today was able to get into my orchard. "NOT NICE"!!! Looks like Nagisaki after the bomb. The rabbits decimated trunk and limbs above the tree guards. "BAD" If there is bright side to this, it is the fact they didn't touch the Peach, Pear and Cherry. How do you explain that? Any how--- I am no longer Mr. Nice Guy, from now on I am Elmer Fudd with an attitude (And a trap). Now----Anyone with An idea on how to treat all these trees? I still need to spray oil---will oil in the areas where the bark is missing do any harm? Any one of you Proffeshinals have any ideas?? Yeah---- I know I am loosing my spelling!! That's what happens in old age!


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Comments (7)

  • Dan.NY
    10 years ago

    I feel for you as I am in the same boat! IM not a pro at all, but I found this and will likely be trying it or some variation.

    http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2010/3-17/rabbitrepair.html

  • mjmarco
    10 years ago

    Yep they like apple the best skipped right past my cherry and peach trees .

    Same thing happen to mine 4 years ago there's a very long thread on here somewhere on page 6 called Major Rabbit Damage on Apple Trees how to fix, It has pictures and how they healed. They were 10 year old trees when they were damaged....wild life is a endless battle here...good luck.

    http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg030837171557.html?69

  • Dan.NY
    10 years ago

    good link. thanks. My trees are 100% girdled. All the way around so I do no think they will recover unless I do bridge grafting. I realize its a desperation attempt but nothing to lose.

    One thing I was thinking of covering the wounds with bees wax/honey?? Anyone care to comment on this idea?? I have ample amounts around and should be able to cover at least some part of the wounds if not all. Not sure this is a good idea. After reading that long post, its not clear what the best idea is. Its not clear if the trees in that post were 100% girdled or not. It did not appear so. I also had peach trees girdled and grape vines.

  • Dan.NY
    10 years ago

    good link. thanks. My trees are 100% girdled. All the way around so I do no think they will recover unless I do bridge grafting. I realize its a desperation attempt but nothing to lose.

    One thing I was thinking of covering the wounds with bees wax/honey?? Anyone care to comment on this idea?? I have ample amounts around and should be able to cover at least some part of the wounds if not all. Not sure this is a good idea. After reading that long post, its not clear what the best idea is. Its not clear if the trees in that post were 100% girdled or not. It did not appear so. I also had peach trees girdled and grape vines.

  • Fascist_Nation
    10 years ago

    You don't cover wounds with anything. Ever. Well, an exception is tip borers if prevalent can be blocked by covering the wound with Elmer's glue. Grafts can be covered to seal in moisture, but that seal should be removed or break up after the cambium layers fuse.

    Unless the grape vines are grafted they will come up from their roots again if they were already established.

    100% girdled then they are dead. Might take a year or two but dead.

    It is possible to save them. You can try to save complete girdled trees via bridge grafting: essentially grafting a form fitting section of bark or tree branches elsewhere to match up the cambium layer and bridge the girdle. This can be nailed on. I even saw a homeowner who's tree was completely girdled by goats top and bend large suckers to graft above the girdle into a hole cut into the bark...wild! It doesn't take too many successful grafts to keep a tree alive. And the bonus benefit is the tree become promiscuous thinking it is going to die and sets fruit at younger age.

    Here is a link that might be useful: see Bridge Grafting

    This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Tue, Mar 18, 14 at 20:47

  • hoosier318
    9 years ago

    Feel for you as I am on my second blueberry planting. Several years back I planted several hundred dollars of blueberries only to have the rabbits eat/prune them to the ground in the winter. Now several neighbors have dogs and haven't seen any rabbits lately, so hoping that I can get the blueberries to full grown before the rabbits return. Good luck Elmer Fudd, its no fun when you have damage like you do!

  • beeman_gardener
    9 years ago

    hoosier318
    Our local rabbits will still browse on fully grown BBs. They just take out the new young growth, which in turn stops the plant from replacing older growth. Slowly the plant gets too old and dies. I know from experience, but it took a while for me to catch on. Now I prevent the rabbits from getting at the plants, both summer and winter.

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