When to Remove Miracle Tubes?

An extremely common question we receive is "Now that my trees are growing out of the tubes, when should I remove them?"

Unfortunately like many things in life, there are different opinions on this depending on who you ask and your own personal situation/setup.   Personally, we use a combination of both options below.

Option 1:  

Leave the tube on until the tree grows past the deer browse line.  Since these benefits are generally achieved in the first two years, it makes sense to remove the tree tube at that point, stake the tree for support, and re-use the tree tube to start another tree.   You will probably get 2-3 uses out of the Miracle Tube before it gets brittle from UV exposure.  Some proponents of this approach also mention possible risks involved in keeping the tubes on the trees for an extended period of time, most notably that mice or other rodents can take up residence in them and gnaw at the bark of the well-established tree.  

Those who choose to remove the grow tubes after 1 or 2 seasons need to be aware of two issues/considerations:

1. Proper stem support – The tree will most likely need to be staked for support, but the support stake & ties should allow for stem movement (stem movement triggers growth responses that thicken the stem and add taper to the trunk)

2. The danger of bucks rubbing now that the tube has been removed. Keeping a stake, especially a metal stake, close to the tree has been shown to discourage buck rubs if you elect this method.  Use of a scent-based deer repellent also helps greatly.   

Option 2:  

The other school of thought is that the tree tube should stay in place for 3 to 5 years, providing a succession of benefits:  First fast growth and deer browse protection, then later stem support and protection from buck rubs.  This will also provide long-lasting protection from herbicide spray, mowers and weed trimmers.  At this 3-5 year point the tube may need to be cut off because the top branches may not flex enough to slide the tube over the tree anymore.

Those who prefer to leave the tubes on for several years need to be aware of three issues/considerations:

1. Rodents in the tubes – By and large tree tubes effectively protect against damage by rodents.  However rodents can gain entry into tree tubes, and in these cases they can gnaw through the bark and girdle the base of the tree.  This can be extremely frustrating just when you think the tree is well established.  The best defense against rodents is to keep the area around the tree tube free of weeds.  Not only will this provide growth benefits for the tree by eliminating competition, it will reduce habitat for rodents.  Mice and voles do not like scurrying across bare ground, exposing themselves to predators.  In places where rodent populations are very high dropping a rodent repellent (or moth balls) in the tree tubes can be very helpful.

2. Tube Removal – Tree tubes should be removed when the base of the tree reaches 3 to 3.5 inches in diameter. There is a decent chance the tube will not slide over the top anymore - you'll need to cut it off. 

3.  You'll only get one use per tube.  The shorter method provides 2-3 uses on average.

Summary:  

As with so many things in life, there’s no “wrong” answer as to when to remove tree tubes.  Excellent tree farmers have been highly successful using both methods.  You just have to know the pro’s and con’s of each method and determine what method is right for you.