Should I use a plant guard?

In the planting trial that we are carrying out at Cable Bay Adventure Park most of our plots included a plant guard. In just one plot we trailed no guards at all.

- 6 days after planting the unguarded plot 37 out of 75 plants had been browsed by hares - with the plants snipped off just above ground level. Browsing was less than 1% with the guarded plants.

- Without plant guards weed control becomes very difficult. Spraying is out of the question and scrub barring is also challenging without damaging the young plants. Surviving plants very soon had to compete with grass and weeds. Releasing by hand is really the only way of managing weeds (if you can find the plants).

- Photos here show the comparison between Pittisporum eugenoides, Podocarpus totara and Coprosma propinqua planted without and with guards. (These were the stongest surviving plants in the unguarded plots.

We use EmGuards made by FuturEcology . These guys designed the first cardboard plant guard. EmGuards are tough enough to protect your baby trees from competing weeds, weed spray and scrub bars for a couple of years after which they simply biodegrade in place!