Quick verdict
Spiral plastic guards that wind around the trunk of a young tree to shield the bark from string trimmers, rabbits, deer rub and sunscald. The 4 pack comes in two sizes around 15.7 inches tall, expandable to about 2 inches across, and they go on in seconds without tools. They are reusable and cheap; check them each spring so a growing trunk is not constricted.
Strengths
- Protects young bark from trimmer line, rodents, deer rub and sunscald
- Spiral design winds on in seconds without tools
- Expands with the trunk up to about 2 inches diameter
- Reusable, waterproof plastic
- Four guards in two sizes
Weaknesses
- Only for trunks up to about 2 inches across
- Must be loosened or removed as the tree grows
- Traps moisture and insects if left on year round in wet climates
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The Cheapest Insurance for a New Tree
Most young trees that die in a garden are killed at the trunk: a string trimmer strips the bark, a rabbit girdles it in winter, a buck rubs it raw, or winter sun splits the thin bark on the south side. A guard around the trunk stops all four. Aukney’s spiral protectors are flexible plastic coils about 15.7 inches tall that wind onto a trunk in seconds and expand to around 2 inches across, sold four to a pack in two sizes.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how spiral trunk guards perform on young trees generally. We have not used these guards ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Installation
Hold the open edge against the trunk at the base and rotate the spiral upward around it. No tools, no ties. The guard grips the trunk and sits on the soil or mulch. Removing it is the same in reverse, which is why spiral guards are the standard for nursery and street trees.
Protection
Trimmer line cannot reach the bark through the plastic, which ends the most common way homeowners kill their own trees. Rabbits and voles, which chew bark under snow, are kept off. Deer rub glances off the smooth surface. The light colour reflects winter sun and reduces the freeze-thaw sunscald that cracks young bark on the sunny side.
Size and Growth
These fit trunks up to about 2 inches in diameter, which covers most newly planted trees for several years. Check them each spring: a guard that no longer expands will constrict the trunk. Remove when the bark thickens or the trunk outgrows the coil.
Moisture and Pests
A guard on year round in a humid climate can hold moisture against the bark and shelter insects. Many arborists leave guards on in winter, when rodents and sunscald are the threats, and take them off in summer. Check under them occasionally regardless.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone planting young trees in a lawn that gets trimmed.
- Properties with rabbits, voles or deer.
- Orchard and fruit tree owners protecting saplings through winter.
Common Owner Complaints
The 2 inch limit for larger trees and guards forgotten until they constrict. Both are avoided by choosing the right size and checking yearly.
Alternatives to Consider
Hardware cloth cylinders protect larger trunks and allow full airflow. Paper tree wrap suits sunscald only and is replaced annually. Plastic mesh tubes protect against deer at greater height.
Verdict
For the first years of a young tree’s life, a spiral guard is the cheapest protection against the things most likely to kill it, and these four do the job for the price of a coffee. Put them on at planting and check them every spring.
Full specifications
Aukney Spiral Plastic Tree Trunk Protector Wraps, 4 Pack in 2 Sizes FAQs
String trimmer line girdling the bark, rabbits and voles chewing in winter, deer rubbing antlers and winter sunscald on thin young bark, any of which can kill a sapling.
Through the first few years until the bark thickens. Loosen or remove as the trunk approaches 2 inches, and consider removing in summer in humid climates to let the bark dry.
No. Two inches is the limit. Larger trunks need wider guards or hardware cloth cylinders.
The spiral grips the trunk and stays put in normal wind. Push the base into the mulch for extra hold.
