Cold winds should not be as big of an issue. How high up you go depends on your snow cover and your chance of sun scald and/or splitting from trunks thawing/freezing too fast (young trees in full sun). The only protection I give mine is a 24 inch high circle of 2 x 3 inch vinyl coated mesh. But, mine are not in full sun.

tj

I hope I'm reading "kidding" about the duct tape!

I would actually spend the few dollars involved and get some of those plastic, perforated winding strips that go around the tree trunks. They let a tree breathe, you don't have to tape them in place, and if you lose your mind and forget about them for 10 years, they just expand with the tree growth.

If you insist on the craft paper, I'd get that green, stretchy tape that one uses to stake up tomatoes or upright trees.

I don't think a winter will hurt it, but if it's very wet, the moisture against the trunk could dry, wet, dry, and maybe hold in too much moisture? Would it freeze and refreeze from the wet paper?

Thanks for the replies. On second thought, the use of a soft material next to the stem eg burlap or craft paper/cardboard would hold moisture which can't be good next to the trunk. So I will use this product shown below as I am most concerned with potential damage from animals.

Here is a link that might be useful: trunk protector

That's very similar to what I was thinking, and to what comes on many trees from the nursery.

Sounds like a plan to me!

I noticed I have a bale of straw. Would this spread around the perimeter of the base of this tree serve as good mulch...acting as additional protection from the winter weather for this JM?

This post was edited by rouge21 on Sun, Dec 2, 12 at 9:55

I use straw and hay in my raised beds, under mulch, because it decomposes quickly into good soil.

Given the fact straw is food for animals that might also chomp on what to them are sticks with bark? Although I can't say that would happen, I can say I wouldn't do it.

Wait until you throw down some grass seed and put it on that.