Last year, once the snow had melted, was one of the worst years I have seen for animal damage to plant stalks,trunks and bark. I was thinking that as the snow piled up that the depth was perfect for the plants as it was going to act as a blanket from the cold as well as a shield from rabbits and other teeth-wielding critters. I was wrong. As the warm air moved this way in late April and the sun’s warm rays melted the snow my jaw dropped. My 85′ long hedge, which I thought was safe, had been totally massacred. After investiaging a little I realized that under the 3′ snow all the critters around my yard were so hungry for food that they created tunnels from plant to plant and totally devoured the soft bark of many of my favorite plants and trees.
This fall my approach was different (and this can still be done). I used chicken wire, rodent spray, and burlap to make sure that, high or low snow, the hungry will not be able to get their nappy little teeth into my plants. I wrapped burlap around shrubs, chicken wire around some of my favorite trees, and sprayed down everything with a deer/rabbit repellent in hope that if we do get heavy snow again they will not be able to penetrate my mini-fortresses I have built.
My wife Sara tends to think I went to the full extent (perhaps more) of what needed to be done. I will let you know come spring.
Andy Freeland