Question: What are some options for placing a tube around my shrubs?

#1- You can put a shrub seedling in a tall (4ft or 5ft) tree tube to provide an extended period of deer browse protection, and grow the terminal shoot past the browse line. Some shrubs, such as lilacs grow very quickly in tubes, and should emerge from either size in 2-3 growing seasons (actually 20 to 30% will emerge the first growing season but I'm afraid if I tell you that you will think I'm exaggerating). A year after they emerge from the tubes you can remove the tubes and allow the shrubs to branch, sucker and spread from that point.

The downsides of this approach are:
1. You get odd-looking "tree like" shrubs for a while, until you can remove the tubes and allow the shrubs to spread.
2. Cost of the 5ft tubes is highter versus other sized tubes.

However, there are times when the deer pressure is so severe this is the fastest and most effective way to get shrubs established- in fact you literally can't get them established unless you get the terminal shoot past the browse line. If you go with this approach I'd recommend 5ft vented O-style tubes, to help those plants that don't emerge the first growing season to properly harden off for winter. It will also reduce humidity in the tube, and lilacs are susceptible to powdery mildew.

#2- Use shorter C-style tubes, such as 2.5 or 3ft to provide enough protection from deer browse to get a good, strong root system established and then remove the tubes to allow the shrubs to spread. The likely timing here would be to leave the tubes on for one full growing season and the subsequent winter, and then remove it for the following growing season to allow spreading. Some customers modify that by leaving the tubes in place for a 2nd growing season and winter.

The ventilation isn't critical with 2.5 or 3ft tubes since the plants will be well out the top by the end of the first growing season, exposed to ambient conditions, and will harden off just fine for winter.

One recent addition to our product line makes this second option even more viable: Many of our customers have used shorter tubes due to either budget restrictions or the desire for lower branches, and then used Deer Guard Repellent after the trees have emerged to provide supplemental protection until the plants are completely established.