TE8: Tree guard (wood post and wire)

Find out about eligibility and requirements for the tree guard (wood post and wire) item.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
2 April 2015
Last updated
5 August 2024 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Priority habitats, Trees (non-woodland), Uplands
Tiers or standalone items:
Higher Tier, Mid Tier
Funding (per unit per year):
£101 to £200

This item is part of Capital Grants 2024. You must read the Capital Grants 2024 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid

£132.16 per guard

Where you can use this item

You can use this item on trees on a land parcel if you’re already using the land parcel for:

You can also use this item when planting in-field agroforestry trees.

Where you cannot use this item

You cannot use this item with:

How this item benefits the environment

This item protects trees from damage caused by grazing animals and wild animals.

What you must do to use this item

You must:

  • erect tree guards at least 1.5 m high with posts placed far enough apart that grazing animals cannot reach within 0.5m of the tree stem
  • design the tree guard to allow access for formative pruning, applying mulch and clearing vegetation around the base of each tree

You must construct the tree guards in one of 2 ways.

Option 1

The tree guard must have:

  • at least 3 treated timber corner posts, and top and bottom rails that are 5cm in diameter
  • sheep netting attached between the top and bottom rails
  • longer posts and an additional strand of wire strung above the sheep netting to increase the height of the guard (if needed)
  • 2 strands of plain or barbed wire wrapped spirally around the guard to prevent animals from rubbing against it

Option 2

The tree guard must have:

  • at least 2 stakes placed at least 0.5m apart
  • one stake at least 1.5m high, and the other at least 0.5m high
  • strong weld mesh wire, at least 1.5m high, wrapped around and securely fastened to the outside of the stakes at least 0.25m from the trunk
  • either the vertical strands of the wire mesh bent so they face outwards, or a piece of rubber tubing slit lengthways pushed on to the top of the wire circle (to prevent the trunk rubbing against the metal)
  • 2 strands of barbed wire wrapped spirally around the guard to prevent livestock from rubbing against it

If you have an existing agreement, you must continue to follow the specifications in that agreement.

What you must not do

You must not:

  • fasten guards to the tree
  • attach guards so they rub against, constrict or damage the tree in any other way

Evidence you must keep 

You must keep photographs of the completed work and supply them with your claim.

You must also keep and supply on request:

  • any consents or permissions connected with the work
  • receipted invoices, or bank statements where a receipted invoice is unavailable
  • photographs of existing trees to be protected

Please see the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants, and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

Other items and actions you can use with this item

Capital items

You can use this item with:

Updates to this page

Published 2 April 2015
Last updated 5 August 2024 + show all updates

  1. TBC

  2. Update to 'Where to this item' to include WD10, WD11 and WD12

  3. Updated for 2017 applications.

  4. Information updated for applications in 2016.

  5. First published.

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