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Message |
    
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 243
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 1:54 pm: | 
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I am at my wits end...
I am spraying Deer Out all over my plants, handing coyote urine from the bushes, planting garlic around the roots, liberally applying all forms of organic pest "solutions" and have been doing so for 3 years and still the critters munch...
Does anyone out there have any proven method of stopping animals/vermin/pests/furry things/etc from eating my plants? They eat the ground covering type, they devoured my hyacinth which has never happened before, they nibble at my lilac and the rest is disappearing....
I don't want to harm them, I want to repel them.
Can anyone help?
Thanks
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Handygirl
Citizen
Username: Handygirl
Post Number: 675
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 3:09 pm: |
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The only thing that you can do is plant things that they don't like to eat - and that constantly changes. You can fence in your yard. That's the only other solution. I can't imagine how you could solve your problem by harming them, unless you sat outside with a gun. Honestly, you aren't going to win this one. I've found that deer, etc. do not find the following plants tasty:
Pachasandra and Vinca Minor (aka bowles periwinkle) - both excellent groundcover
Ferns (most of them that is - although sometimes they like to nibble on the new shoots).
Forcythia and heather seem to do well.
Rhodadendrins (sp?) - although they tend to munch on my azaleas (which are related to Rhods)
Most evergreens, including boxwoods do well.
My advice is to start with plants that you know won't be eaten and then periodically add a new "deerproof" plant and see how it does.
Good luck - deer off doesn't work.
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Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13887
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 5:27 pm: |
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Have you tried sprinking your plants with cayenne pepper? I've heard that works but haven't tried it.
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Handygirl
Citizen
Username: Handygirl
Post Number: 676
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 5:41 pm: |
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The problem with spraying and sprinkling things on your plants is that all it takes is for you to forget to spray once and the deer and rodents take everything out in an instant. You are much better finding plants that the deer do not like, or fencing in your yard. Sad, but true. |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 247
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 6:22 pm: |
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I tried cayenne - it made me sneeze... had no effect on the critters though, they enjoyed their spicy snack...
I'm to the point of almost surrounding my plants in netting, but I hate the way it looks. |
tjohn
Supporter
Username: Tjohn
Post Number: 4265
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 6:51 pm: |
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I use a product called Tree Guard to good effect on my hostas and tulips. It weathers pretty well and works very well.
Tree Guard is available at http://www.bugpage.com/deer-repellent.php and, most likely, other places. |
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 517
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 6:40 am: |
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Mr. Kibbegirl actually thought he saw a baby fox in our backyard last week...hmmm... |
tulip
Citizen
Username: Braveheart
Post Number: 3471
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 6:54 am: |
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They say rabbits don't like marigolds. |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 253
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 7:07 am: |
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I was told something similar tulip, I was also told that yellow flowers put animals etc off... I loaded up on marigolds and also "zinnias"(?) - beautiful lush thick yellow petals...... the next morning I had beautiful thin green stalks, the heads had been taken right off.
I will persevere - I will not bow down to the vermin!!!!!! I will probably have my Husband working a secnd job, but I will have my garden full of colour!!
I appreciate all the suggestions |
Handygirl
Citizen
Username: Handygirl
Post Number: 677
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:27 am: |
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Deer eat tulips. Deer eat Zinnias. Deer often eat marigolds. If you have a "garden", as opposed to a flower bed, put a fence around it. It isn't about your perseverance, it is about acknowledging where you live and what other animals you coexist with in your current environment. If you really want a garden full of color, do it with raised planters (in a deck if you have one),
or window boxes or hanging baskets. You can add a lot of color that way.
Good luck. |
newtoallthis
Citizen
Username: Newtoallthis
Post Number: 250
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:21 pm: |
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Print this list of deer-resistant plants by Rutgers and live by it. It has really helped me: http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/
You'll find you still have lots of choices.
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Lizziecat
Citizen
Username: Lizziecat
Post Number: 1181
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 5:43 pm: |
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I have had deer come right up onto my deck to eat my flowers. The one thing that I have found that seems to work is deer and rodent repellent sachet bags from the Vermont County Store. You hang them around your vegetable garden and/or drop them into your potted plants and they seem to keep the animals off. They're good for six months. |
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