Do many of you have much success with the mesh/'non metal' type of fencing?

AJE, are to asking about individual trees or for fencing off large areas. We have enclosed larger areas after cutting trees to protect the seedlings coming up. The plastic mesh fencing has done well, but have had to repair with zip ties the first 1-2 years. Once the deer got used to it they have left it alone

Individual trees.

My uncle tried to fence several apple trees at one time once and it was going well until after a few years a deer or two jumped in the pan and oh it was devastation

Tree tubes for small trees, I'm not sure how to protect them once they outgrow tubes

For my little apple trees in the yard, I made tubes out of concrete reinforcing mesh (6 inch squares) about 5 feet tall. I then wrapped these in chicken wire. Kinda like big tomato cages.

When trees get bigger, I surround them with a circle of concrete wire mesh about 8 foot in diameter.

The deer can still nip off some of the tips, but that's what hunting season is for....

k snow that would make them- "apple flavoured deer"
I like that

Heres a few pics. I use whatever I can get cheap.

^^^^^^ this is the best method I’ve tried , tree tubes work well for keeping the rabbits off but once they grow out the top the deer will keep them from growing any taller. At that point you will need to add the 6’ welded wire .

I also use the smaller tubes without the chicken wire as tomato cages and pea plant supports in the garden.

The big circles i make so the ends can be taken apart and i can cut the grass up to the tree.

I do like ksnow does

On my 3 peach and 4 pear we planted 3 years ago I got wire fencing. That 2x4" hole stuff that is 6'tall. I made circles closed them by wrapping the cut ends back around themselves.

It worked great but I recommend closing them up with zip ties. Now that they are taller I can't just cut the zip ties holding them to the t post keeping them in place and lift them over the tree to muck and prune. Next time I need to move the cage I will be cutting it and using zip ties to close back up.

I spent as much on the wire as as I did on the trees but my neighbor planted some apple tres several times then gave up after the deer killed them every time. So I figured wire was a good investment ve loosing the time on tree growth, effort replanting, and cost.

I normally rely on metal, but in part due to cost I am pondering alternatives at least on some of the small trees. Thanks for the feedback so far.

I think alot depends upon where you have your trees.
In a yard the wire fencing might be OK.
Biggest issue I have had with Apples is mice and voles girdling the tree. You wire won't stop that.

I use the plastic tubes for Oaks, they have to be the ones without the 1/4 in holes for venting as the mice will chew the holes out bigger and live in the tube at times chewing up the tree.
I put 1/4in hardware cloth around the bottom of tree tubes for the best protection.

I have never had a issue with deer chewing trees once they get above the tube. I use 5ft tubes so that maybe a difference.

Protecting the tree costs more than the tree, its hard to accept when planting but after a tree with a couple years growth get destroyed by whatever and you'll wish you spent the money on protecting it.
Takes time to grow a tree and time is irreplaceable, money isn't.

I've never seen a vole. Everyone has mice though so as far as mice go does it generally take a while for trees to get a certain size before mice won't damage them? Mouse guards are a tough 1 because my understanding is they are very important, but if done wrong the tube guards can actually house mice & ants. Apple trees are the most important probably to protect from mice but I wonder about other types of trees

Sometimes I wonder if mice can climb corrugated tree tubes

Same for me. Mice are my worst enemy on young trees. Once they reach 6-7 feet tall then they are on their own and all fencing is removed.

They dig under the bottom edge and climb the trunk.
Deer can jump a 10 ft fence.

Plantra tree tubes?
What height?
I see where some people put a mesh netting on top.

It was posted on another thread a while ago & was mocked, but this is no joke: last year I was at a forestry seminar & the speaker said to put a ~couple moth balls at the base & supposedly it keeps mice out of the tubes

We have used the Plantra tubes with the mesh netting. We put the netting on top to keep the birds out. It seemed they would get in the tubes, then couldn't get back out.