Hares and rabbits can present a real problem when doing revegetation. They just love to eat the fresh, healthy stems and leaves of newly planted trees.
Over the years, I have been experimenting with different size plant pots and stock including plants in regular tubestock pots, long-stemmed plants in tubestock pots and mature plants in large round 6 inch pots.
Long-stemmed plants in tubes work really well in low rainfall areas like the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions where I work and live. The trouble is that hares and rabbits will inevitably chew through the narrow, long stems.
To protect the long stems, I cut up old garden hoses into short pieces – the same length as the bare stems. I use secateurs to cut up the length of the hose the whole way, open it up and feed the stem in. Make sure that the hose is slightly into the ground when planting.
I have had 100% success rate using this method. The hose guards simply shed as the stem thickens up. By the time this happens, the stems are too thick for the hares and rabbits to chew through. The hose guards fall away from the trees and are then ready to be collected and used again. An added feature is that the hose guard helps to hold the plant upright.
There are many different types of tree guards on the market to protect young plants from being eaten by pest animals, like hares and deer, and from wildlife like wallabies, and from livestock. The types of guards you will need will depend on what sort of plants you are planting and the animals that you have on your property. If you are dealing with rabbits and hares, this relatively simple, cheap and effective method of using hose guards with long-stemmed tubestock might just work. Goodluck!
Article and photos by Martin Bennett
Land for Wildlife Officer
Lockyer Valley Regional Council