You can’t leave anything unprotected in the Rustbelt. Even trees waiting to be planted. I had 3 fig cages that didn’t work out for the in-ground figs. The small animals shredded them to the ground before winter. So, I am using the spaces for temporary tree holding cages.
This was all that was left of a Chicago Hardy fig by Fall of ‘25. Over 16 years of planting trees I never had any experience with planting mini trees. Everything I planted was 6 to 8 feet tall. I used trunk protectors and was good to go. So, in ‘25 I learned all about small animals and mini trees.
After the trees are planted, I will put potted figs in the areas.
This area was prone to flooding, so use big pavers to keep the pots about the water when it floods. I lowered the fence to the ground to keep small animals out. Rabbits can still squeeze through a 2 x4 inch opening, but not worried about them.
You can’t relax a second in the Rustbelt. If the big animals don’t get your trees, the small animals will.
