Wrap Up: How Japan Protects Its Trees

Wrap up: how Japanese gardeners protect their trees

In Japan, the onset of winter is marked not just by falling snow but also by horticultural traditions that protect trees from the cold and hibernating insects.

The first, komomaki, involves wrapping straw belts around pine trunks to attract hibernating moths (Dendrolimus). These moths are notorious for defoliating trees by feeding on their needles, making them vulnerable to disease and environmental stress. The straw belts are put in place at the start of winter (rittō) and removed in spring, to be burnt and repurposed as fertiliser. Bad news for the moths, but good news for the tree. While the practice has dwindled due to debates about its overall effectiveness, many still view it as a symbolic gesture marking the arrival of winter in Japanese gardens.

More artistic (and moth friendly) is yukitsuri, whereby a complex web of ropes are attached to a central pole to shield trees from heavy snowfall. Each tree is supported by up to 800 rice-straw ropes – a painstaking process that takes weeks to complete. Not all trees need it – naturally growing trees can shed the snow themselves, but those that have been trained and pruned (niwaki - aka garden trees) lose some of their intrinsic strength and need the support, with the ropes distributing the weight of falling snow to prevent the branches from bending or breaking. You’ll see yukisturi in Tokyo at gardens like Kiyosumi Teien, although Tokyo rarely gets heavy enough snowfall to actually need it. Further north and on the west coast, however, they get very heavy snowfalls: the most famous example being Kenrokuen in Kanzawa, where they regularly receive up to 30cm dumps of wet, heavy snow carried by weather patterns that originate in icy Siberia.

Straw belts are wrapped around the trunks of trees to attract hibernating moths

Bamboo stakes wrapped with twine and stuffed with straw are used to protect banana plants at Great Dixter

Closer to home, bamboo stakes wrapped with twine and stuffed with straw are used to protect banana plants from cold and wind in some British gardens, including Great Dixter in East Sussex. This helps to prevent rot and protect the tall, trunk-like part of the plant, which is more vulnerable to frost, and adding winter interest to boot.

If you fancy trying any of these techniques at home, our giant rolls of coir twine will come in handy. Made from coconut husks, the sturdy fibres are perfect for training trees, supporting plants, tying knots, and generally binding things together.

Cryptomeria wrapped with split bamboo for protection from deer – and people.

The yukitsuri at Kiyosumi Teien is largely symbolic – snowfall in Tokyo is rarely heavy enough to warrant protection.

Up to 800 straw ropes attached to a bamboo pole are tied to trees to help distribute heavy snowfall.

The view from beneath, looking up.

Tools of the trade: of course, we have just the right tools and accessories should you choose to try this at home: