Supporting guidance for Post and Rail Tree Guards
Date published: 12 December, 2016
To see recent changes to this guidance, check the bottom of the page
Veteran and newly-planted individual parkland trees may be protected from damage by livestock or deer with individual guards made of post and rail fencing. The type of livestock likely to browse the trees will determine how high and how far away from the tree the fence will need to be. It also determines the number of rails that will be needed, their spacing, and whether additional protection is needed.
What needs to be done?
A square frame 1.5 metres in height, with sides two metres in length, with at least three rails and with the trees in individual 1.2 metre tall tree shelters will provide adequate protection for young trees against all livestock as well as deer, rabbit and hare.
The option guidance requires the rails to be at least 38x87 millimetres sawn timber (usually supplied in four metre lengths) and posts to be no more than 1.8 metres apart. Rails for the larger fences needed for cattle and horses will need to be 100x50 millimetres, and the posts 100 millimetres diameter or square. Posts for the smaller pens should be 75 to 100 millimetres.
On the wider guards, posts will be needed mid-way along the length of each side.
Where sheep and goats are the grazing animals, wire mesh secured behind the rails will be additionally required.
Further information
Recent changes
| Section | Change |
|---|---|
| What needs to be done | Table deleted. Addition of requirement for wire mesh where sheep and goats are grazing. |
Previous versions
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