Spirals and wraps are the lightweight end of tree protection: cheaper and quicker to fit than a full tube shelter, and the right call wherever the browsing pressure on site doesn’t justify a shelter’s extra cost and stake. Which one to choose comes down to what’s actually browsing, and whether you want it recyclable or biodegradable.

Spiral guard or hedge wrap: which coils around the stem

The Spiral Tree Guard is the classic coiled guard, wound around the trunk and left to expand as the stem thickens. It’s supplied in green tint, clear or brown, in four heights from 20cm to 75cm and four diameters from 38mm to 63mm, and it protects against rodents, rabbits, sheep and deer.

The Vigilis Hedge Wrap works on a similar principle but opens out flat and wraps around the stem rather than coiling on, needs no stake, and expands as the plant grows. It’s made with up to 30% recycled polypropylene and is tuned for light transmission, passing over 20% blue and over 35% red light through the 400 to 700nm range, which supports healthy growth under the guard. It protects against rabbits, hares, herbicide drift and strimmer damage.

Recyclable or soil-biodegradable

The Spiral Tree Guard is a standard recyclable plastic product with no biodegradable version. The hedge wrap comes both ways: the standard Vigilis Hedge Wrap is fully recyclable once the plant is established, and the Vigilis Bio Hedge Wrap is a soil-biodegradable, plastic-free alternative, developed with over £360,000 of Innovate UK funding, that breaks down naturally once its job is done, so there’s nothing to retrieve. If a job needs to avoid plastic entirely, the Bio Hedge Wrap is the only option in this category that does; if plastic isn’t an issue and you’d rather have the widest range of colours and sizes, the Spiral Tree Guard gives you that instead.

Which product for which job

Sheep or deer pressure, or a preference for a range of colours and diameters: Spiral Tree Guard. Rabbit and hare pressure on hedgerow whips where you want to skip staking altogether: Vigilis Hedge Wrap. The same job on a scheme where a plastic-free guard matters, such as a Countryside Stewardship hedgerow agreement: Vigilis Bio Hedge Wrap.

None of these three suit heavier deer pressure as well as a full tube shelter does, so if roe, fallow or sika deer are a real risk on site, it’s worth looking at the taller Vigilis tree shelters in the wider tree protection range instead. For lighter pressure, get in touch if you’re not sure which of these three fits your site.

Frequently asked questions

Do spiral guards and hedge wraps need a stake?

The Vigilis Hedge Wrap doesn't; it stands on its own and expands as the plant grows, though a bamboo cane can be added for support on exposed sites. The Spiral Tree Guard is generally fitted with a bamboo cane for support, particularly on taller heights.

Will a spiral guard or hedge wrap stop deer browsing?

The Spiral Tree Guard's specification covers deer as well as rabbits, sheep and rodents. The Vigilis Hedge Wrap's specification covers rabbits and hares rather than deer, so where deer pressure is significant, a taller tree shelter is a safer choice than a wrap.

What's the difference between the standard and Bio Vigilis Hedge Wrap?

Both protect against the same range of threats and both expand as the plant grows. The standard version is recyclable plastic with up to 30% recycled content. The Bio version is a soil-biodegradable, plant-based material that breaks down naturally in the ground once the plant is established, so nothing needs collecting afterwards.