Quick verdict
Twenty white PP plastic spiral guards, ten at 15.75 by 1.97 inches and ten at 15.75 by 1.57 inches, that wind around the trunk of a young tree to stop rabbits and voles gnawing the bark in winter, shade the south side against sunscald and give the string trimmer something to hit other than the tree. Spirals expand as the trunk grows and link end to end for a taller guard. They are the standard guard for a new orchard or a row of whips and twenty does a small planting.
Strengths
- Stops rabbit and vole gnawing on young bark
- Shades the trunk against winter sunscald
- Spiral expands with the trunk and links for height
- Two sizes for whips and small trees
- Twenty guards for a row or small orchard
Weaknesses
- White plastic yellows and goes brittle after a few seasons
- Must be removed or checked yearly or it holds moisture and pests
- Sixteen inches is short for deep snow; link two
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
The First Winters Are the Dangerous Ones
A young tree is ringed by rabbits in a snowy January, gnawed by voles under the mulch, split by sun on its south side and stripped by the trimmer in June. A spiral guard answers all four. Wesiti’s pack is twenty white PP spirals in two widths, 16 inches tall, that wind around the trunk and expand as it grows.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how spiral tree guards perform on young trees generally. We have not used these guards ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Fitting
Start at the soil line and wind the spiral up the trunk, pushing the base an inch into the soil or mulch so there is no gap for a vole. Choose the narrower spiral for a whip and the wider for a tree with a trunk an inch or more across. In deep-snow country, wind a second spiral on above the first so the guard is above the snow line, which is where rabbits feed in February.
What It Stops
Rabbits and voles cannot reach the bark. White plastic reflects low winter sun so the south side of the trunk does not warm by day and freeze at night, which is what splits the bark of maples and fruit trees. The string trimmer hits plastic, not cambium. For an orchard or a row of hedging whips, those are the four main losses of the first two years.
The Yearly Check
Each spring, unwind the guard, look at the bark for insects, damp or mould, and wind it back on if the tree still needs it. Remove it for good when the bark has thickened or the trunk fills the spiral. A guard forgotten for years holds moisture against the bark and is a hotel for pests, which undoes the good it did.
Durability
PP plastic in the sun goes yellow and brittle in three or four seasons. That is about as long as a tree needs a guard, so the two coincide. Twenty guards are cheap enough that a cracked one is replaced without thought.
What It Does Not Do
Deer browse and rub above it. A deer problem needs a cage or a fence; the spiral is for the small animals and the sun.
Who Should Buy It
- Anyone planting an orchard or a row of whips.
- Gardeners in rabbit and vole country.
- Owners of young maples and fruit trees on a sunny south side.
Common Owner Complaints
Brittleness after a few years. That is the plastic; the tree is past needing it by then.
Alternatives to Consider
Mesh tree guard roll for air flow and height. Paper tree wrap for sunscald only. A wire cage for deer.
Verdict
For young trees through their first winters, a spiral guard is the cheap, proven answer to rabbits, voles, sun and trimmers, and twenty covers a planting. Push the base in, link for snow and check it every spring.
Full specifications
Wesiti 20-Pack Plastic Spiral Tree Trunk Protector Guards, Two Sizes, White FAQs
Hold the bottom of the spiral at the soil line and wind it up the trunk. Push the base an inch into the soil or mulch so voles cannot start underneath. For a taller guard, wind a second spiral on above the first.
Check each spring. Remove it when the bark has thickened and the trunk is too wide for the spiral, or when the guard has gone brittle. A guard left for years holds moisture and insects against the bark.
White reflects winter sun and stops the bark on the south side warming and freezing, which is what cracks young trunks.
No. Deer rub and browse above it; a deer needs a cage or a fence.
