I have small Cherry trees, mostly because each spring something/someone seems to be pruning all the branches up to waist height.

What could be doing this? Raccoons? How do I stop it?


Location Sudbury, Ontario, Canada! In the city but I get bears all summer long.
I haven't seen any deer.
I will go and take a picture.

So the short bush all trimmed back. The taller one is trimmed up to the height of the short one. It had bunny poop all around it. The bunnies are really short.
Thanks,

to NGA

Can you update your information with your location? It will be easier to help you if we know where your trees are.

If it was my house, I would say deer. My entire orchard is full of flat bottomed trees.

Daisy

I would say deer, @Snowphie.

We need you to update your profile so that we know your location.

In my yard it would be (and is) deer, as well...

Welcome, @Snowphie !

Landscapers charge good money for that kind of work...deer do it for free. Deer would be my first guess as well.

LOL, Rob -- that would be my yard, "Landscaping by Whitetails" !!

I updated with a pic! Do you still think Deer?

@Snowphie -- where is the photo?

oops -- sorry -- I see it's on the original post!

Hmmm... That's a nice sharp cut for deer teeth. But its not rabbits. As you pointed out, they are short and they eat the bark off the bottom of the tree, essentially girdling and killing them.

Had you thought of setting up a Critter Cam so you can see what goes on in the middle of the night? They aren't that expensive and its amazing what happens in your yard when you aren't looking.

Daisy.

Weedwhacker, Snowphie added it to her original post.

It looks the same as the "pruning" on my cherries... and various other things around here; pretty sure it's deer.

Can you put a wire fence cage around each tree to keep them away? (that would also prevent rabbits from chewing the bark (which, at least here, seems to be their specialty).

Weedwhacker said:It looks the same as the "pruning" on my cherries... and various other things around here; pretty sure it's deer.

Can you put a wire fence cage around each tree to keep them away? (that would also prevent rabbits from chewing the bark (which, at least here, seems to be their specialty).

I will try and find a wire cage! That is a good idea. I have been waiting 6 years after transplanting the yearling shrubs to get cherries and the last 2 years this has stopped that from happening!

Thanks Everyone at the National Gardening Forum