Deer nibbling your veggies?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

Letter to Organic Gardening, Sep/Oct 1994.

If you have deer trouble. . . encircle the area you want to protect with a nylon twine about 3 feet above the ground. Then tie white or light-colored cloth strips about 12 to 18 inches long each--to the twine, spacing the cloth strips about 15 to 18 inches apart.

When I did this a couple of years ago, deer. . . didn't touch anything inside the wire. . . . (Hanging soap from plants--an often-recommended deer deterrent--didn't work for me; groundhogs or some other varimnt just ate the soap like candy. Charles Bigart, Moneta, VA.

Cut and pasted by

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), July 04, 1999

Answers

My father's garedn and fruit trees have been devastated by deer.

Thanks.

-- Rick (rick7@postmark.net), July 04, 1999.


Ummm, I'd recommend the following.

1. Make it easier for them to get them veggies. 2. Shootem for food when WHYTWOK hits hard and you're not able to go to the local grocery. 3. Hell, I'd plant a separate crop just for Bambi and friends.

-- The Deer Hunter (areunutz@foodsource.com), July 04, 1999.


The Deer Hunter: I agree with makin bait for your deer. You can later use the bait for your deer fixins. Stuffin Deer makes 'em juicy. Why stick your neck out anyway when the deer can do it for you.

Which one did you really mean?

"Why Have You Thought Words Originate Knowledge?" = WHYTWOK

"When The Shit Hits The Fan" = WTSHTF

"The End Of The World As We Know It" = TEOTWAWKI

-- Feller (feller@wanna.help), July 04, 1999.


Dear Git;

Need one for rabbits and ground hogs. ??????????????

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), July 04, 1999.


I'll have to keep an eye out for that info. Rabbits are kept out of my veggies by a 3' chicken wire fence; I expect it would work for groundhogs as well, but I don't know. I had read that you should make your fence a little wobbly, as opposed to stretched neatly, because raccoons and other varmints don't like the shaky feeling.

There's a guy in Chatham Co. (NC) who makes a weekly trip to the big cat shelter (forget what they call it, brain addled from cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild men), anyway, he picks up a load of tiger manure, swears by it, says he never has a problem with critters.

What might be more practical is human hair--know a barber who'll save healthy hair trimmings for you?

If I pick up anything else during my wanderings through Organic Gardening and such, I'll post it on the new prep forum, whenever it gets going.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), July 04, 1999.



Hi OG,

I,ve found that " pissin " around your garden will keep the large runiments away from your veggie's, cats take care of the rest.

-- CT (ct@no.yr), July 04, 1999.


My father grew up during the Depression, and he told me that they saved hair from their haircuts to spread around the perimeters of the garden. Going to try the twine with cloth idea, thanks!

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), July 04, 1999.

We've been putting the dog tethered to his crate out near the garden, which has worked. He doesn't like it though, so tomorrow I'll try twine and cloth idea. Thanks!

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), July 05, 1999.

The hair works very well. The scent will stay on hair, deer do not like it. Try stuffing hair in to old socks and hanging around garden.

-- && (&&@&&.&), July 05, 1999.

&& - Maybe it is the old socks that are doing it - {:-) (Sorry - couldn't resist!)

I had quite good luck with blood meal from the garden store. Made up little bags with doubled cheese cloth and string. Hung then from the low branches on the fruit trees that the deer thought were delish. Also sprinkled some around the edges of the garden. Rabbits didn't like it either. Be sure to wear gloves when you use it - it will really make your hands smell icky!

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), July 05, 1999.



Moderation questions? read the FAQ