[Sudanpan]

When our hedging around the field was planted (2006) each plant had a protector tube on it, likewise the young trees that were planted at the same time (these trees were about 8 - 12 inches tall when planted)
Now the hedge plants (basic mix including hawthorn blackthorn, rosewood etc) have got quite healthy stems/trunks - probably about 1 inch diam -  and the height ranges from 5 ft to 8 ft. The protectors are still around the base of the plants - should I take them off now?
Thanks for any advice 
Tish

[Coley]

Most protectors are designed to snap apart and disintegrate as the trees/bushes grow, I generally leave mine on as protection against rabbits looking for a snack.

[Fleecewife]

Rabbits and bank voles  .  We leave ours on until the trees are much larger than 1" diam as they are still very vulnerable.  We use spirals and some of them eventually do get stuck round the trunk and cause it to stay wet, so we would take them off by then, but otherwise leave them on.  We lost some trees the winter before last when the snow was so deep that the spirals were fully covered in the snow, so the little devils aka rabbits sat on the top of the snow and happily munched through the bark - even fairly well established oaks were killed.  It was too deep for us to even get there to do anything and by the time the snow melted the damage was done 

[poppajohn]

Leave them on, rabbits will go for anything up to 3 inches, I planted a small orchard last October and wont take the guards off for about four years. Basically if the buggas get a taste for bark they love it, they shorten their teeth on it instead of going to a dentist!

[Sudanpan]

Thanks all 
One less thing to do then