Ultimate
Protection

Herbivores like rabbit and hare, and especially roe and red deer are grazing in a selective way. Almost every sapling coming from a nursery is fertilised and rich in nutrients – thus, the main shoot and terminal buds are favoured eaten by these animals. By the way: fencing increases the animal density and browsing pressure on the non-protected area. Survival and growth rates of natural regeneration growing at these non-protected sites are reduced in a massive may.

The shady forest floor contains a rich seed bank of weeds, herbs and trailing plants. After clearing a tree stand, the new light situation at the bare ground is triggering the seeds to germinate. These pioneer weeds are growing very fast and planted tree saplings will be overgrown and suppressed within one vegetation season. Cost intensive manual tending operations or disputable application of herbicides are mandatory to avoid a complete loss of previous investment in saplings, labour and time.

Contrary to established forest stands, open landscape, as well as clear cut areas, can neither provide a balanced macro nor micro-climate with moderate temperature gradients, reduced impact of wind and solar irradiation. Non-balanced macroclimatic conditions are preventing a young sapling from developing full juvenile growth potential. Additionally, through weed pressure tending operations have to be repeated and repeated for several years – until finally the young tree is established and grown out of the weed layer.

Upfront afforestation activities at harvested or storm damaged areas could take place, remaining parts of tree crowns, root plate and other biomass debris need to be removed to enable the realisation of a certain planting scheme, which is necessary to reduce weeding costs (easier relocation). For the same reason, oversized saplings are used. This creates further extra costs, not only for the saplings, but – due to the larger root systems of saplings – for the planting activities themselves.

Installation of TUBEX products is quite simple; no heavy equipment is necessary to fix the tree shelter – just a mid size hammer is needed to drive the stake into the ground. Cable ties are pre-attached at every tube, for netting material they are available separately. As the shelter allows to work with small saplings (and small, non-damaged root systems), the planting shock is minimised – resulting in fast plant establishment. In combination with the full mechanical protection of the tube and the balanced mircro climate inside, the results are signifigant higher survival rates, compared to non-protected plants.

After a fast plant establishment (see above), the balanced micro-climate inside the tube leads to accelerated main shoot growth – with a correctly chosen size of saplings, it takes maximum two vegetation periods until the young tree is growing out of a 1.2m tall tube. Thus, tending operation costs are reduced to a minimum – both, by reduction of necessary repetition and as well by quick, time saving retrieval of tube-protected saplings during the weeding procedure.

TUBEX tree shelters are designed to reduce control of their functionality to a minimum. (Remember, how often a fence has to be controlled to guarantee its function!) The tight twin wall construction resists the attempt of hare, roe- and red deer to get access to the young tree, strengthening rods at the back side of the tube prevents the material tearing where cable ties are connecting the shelter to the stake. Even, if the whole shelter is designed to provide maximum protection, it should not become a limiting factor for tree growth after some years. Thus, every tube has a vertical perforation line, which enables the tree, to open the shelter by its natural stem diameter increment.

Beside TUBEX treeshelters and netting, materials are absolutely easy to handle (e.g. transport, installation), they are suitable to support all types of silvicultural approaches – by taking decisive site parameters into account. Tubex provides proven solutions for the establishment of new tree stands at open fields as well as options to protect enrichment plantings at sunny or shady areas. Shelter solutions are available for all silvicultural-relevant tree species: fast-growing pioneers, climax tree species, light or shade demanders, narrow and bushy growing trees and of course for all kind of deciduous trees and conifers species.