The best time to apply tree tubes: When you plant. The second best time: Today! Tree tubes can be placed over seedling hardwood (broadleaf) trees at any time, dormant or in full leaf.
Ideally you would protect your seedlings with tree tubes approximately 1 nanosecond after planting – and with today’s deer populations even that might be a nanosecond too late!
However, it’s never “too late” to apply tree tubes to your trees… 1 month after planting… the autumn after planting… 5 years after planting when deer have kept your seedlings browsed to a “bonsai” shrub. Just prune the tree back to a single stem, pop a Tubex CombiTube on it and jump back – you won’t believe how fast those deer-stunted trees will go when you give them the protection they need.