What can I use to protect my apple trees from wild life, e.g., deer, porcupine, mice or voles, rabbits and even beaver? Fences work until the snow gets too high then the animals can get over top of the fencing. Could I use a mix of pine tar and canola oil on the upper branches or will that harm the trees? Is there a fungicide that I should use. These trees are at our lake cabin in Manitoba, Canada. We are not always at the cabin in the winter to keep the animals away.
Bill Morningstar
Fruit trees are often protected by tree guards made of plastic or chicken wire. This will deter rabbits but not anything bigger. There is a Swedish deer repellent that is organic too on http://www.treeworld.com/agriculture.html
You seem to be on a ‘hiding to nothing’, to use an English phrase; ie you are unlikely to be successful, especially in view of your absences, unless you enclose them in an impenetrable, high stockade, the sides of which would need to be far enough from the trees to allow adequate light and air circulation. We have had brick-built ‘high-walled gardens’ in Europe for centuries, which serve this purpose as well as fostering a helpful micro-climate. You might try constructing the equivalent with logs, and I suggest you contact the US or Canadian Depts of Agriculture, which have excellent scientists specialising in fruit. There are also reputable organic gardening organisations in the USA.