Danausplexippus
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Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 2:30 pm

My birch saplings are gone

I just recently planted a variety of native saplings-oak,tupelo,pine,hornbeam,aspen, and others. Everything looks good except
all three birches-yellow,river, and paper the stem is gone. Do rabbits or deer especially attack birches? Is the root possibly OK and will
come up again if I protect it or should I start over with a new birch?Thank you in advance for any response.Southern Indiana.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Oh no! That’s too bad.

I think it’s very likely that rabbits or deer might have munched on them like you suspect. I think birch sap is sweeter, like maples or fruitwood.

It’s a good idea to protect tender new saplings in any case — they are likely to try eating even unpalatable ones if hard up for something to eat. So I would definitely devise protective cage/measure for them all ASAP.

If the culprit was rabbit and only ate the top, then maybe there will be enough remaining stub and roots to grow in spring? Hopefully it was not deer that might have uprooted them. Good luck!

Danausplexippus
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Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2018 2:30 pm

Thank you, Applestar. I will protect the rest of them, with quarter inch hardware cloth.



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