PROTECTING YOUR POPLAR CUTTINGS

Deer just love poplars and if you are planting short cuttings be prepared to lose some or protect them because the deer can cause great damage on little cuttings growing. They don’t just bite, they pull them out of the ground.

Poplar cuttings can be protected by installing a chicken wire fence around your trees, you can plant cuttings 4 to 6 inches apart. Make the fence about 4 to 5 ft. tall. cover the top and don’t worry if the branches show thru the fence, deer will eat that but no more. At the end of the year you can remove the fence and move all your plants to it’s destination. Yes, deer will continue eating, but your trees will be big enough to withstand the damage. and hopefully the damage will not be that great.

Another way to avoid deer damage is to plant long cuttings (10 ft. or taller) This is for local clients only because it is too expensive to ship them. By the way, deer will reach as high as 61 inches from the ground. I know that because that is the way they have shaped by Thuja trees (evergreens).