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) and Uplands
• Tiers or standalone items: Higher Tier and 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

How this item benefits the environment

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

Where you can use this item

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

• CHRW2: Manage hedgerows
• ORH1: Manage traditional orchards
• WOD1: Manage wood pasture and parkland

You can only use this item when planting trees with these capital items:

• AF1: Plant an agroforestry woodland tree
• AF2: Plant an agroforestry fruit tree
• TE1: Planting standard hedgerow tree
• TE2: Planting standard parkland tree
• TE3: Planting fruit trees

You cannot use this item with:

• TE6: Tree guard (tube and mesh)
• TE7: Tree guard (wood post and rail)

What you must do to use this item

You must:

• erect tree guards at least 1.5 metres (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 5 centimetres (cm) 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

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.

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

1. 24 July 2024

   TBC

2. 5 October 2022

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

3. 9 March 2017

   Updated for 2017 applications.

4. 29 March 2016

   Information updated for applications in 2016.

5. 2 April 2015

   First published.