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Jul 6, 2014 9:56 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Wade in with your grievances with garden destroyers.
Those of us with histories of Deer are able to pass on wisdom with information we have about repellants and other accessories we have used to keep kritters off the plants.

I am experimenting with nets. "Bird Netting" 10 dollars for 14x14 feet. It can be cut to what ever size you want.
This works for me and my patches of lilies in 4 different gardens.
I learned its best to weave a tall lily stake thru the netting and put a cable tie at the top,then stick the stake in the ground.
I only have 2 or 3 deer and at this point I only guard the lilies while the buds are setting and getting ready to bloom.
I also have a back up with spraying repellants of all sorts.
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Jul 7, 2014 8:34 AM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Region: United States of America Irises Lilies
Seller of Garden Stuff Garden Ideas: Level 1
I have the scarecrow. Works fantastic, but you have to be able to get a hose to your garden. I have three large gardens, and rotate the scarecrow each week. It covers a large area.

Not only does it scare the critters away with the water, but it has an eye that comes on, and it makes a clicking noise when it comes on, and that alone gets the action going. We've seen the deer run, in person. You can set it for as low, or as high as you want, so it would get the rabbits, and keep the birds out of the blueberry bushes.

Best investment I ever made for the garden.
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Jul 14, 2014 9:52 PM CST
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
I have Groundhogs, Rabbits, Deer. Lots of all. They have consumed my entire garden in one night. I have 3 acres of land that I plant and one acre I thought if I left it for wild growing plants they would leave my gardens alone but that is not what is happening.

We had several mild winters and were over run with wild life. They were eating things that is poison. Some were dead in my wood area from eating poison plants that they never touched before. There are times I have 20-30 deer in my yard at one time.

I make and buy repellents. Bondi seems to be the best so far.

I have rubbed on the tips of my hosta Vicks vapor. I have green plastic and have rubbed the vics on the plastic and hang it in front of the plants they love the most.

I have a Bell and Howell solar animal repeller. It lights up and sends a sound that scares them away.

I have a 6' fence but they do jump that.

I have the wood pallets that if they walk on the deer slender legs go through when they fall down they turn and leave. The same thing with wire fencing that has spaces between they do not like to walk on that. These things I use in the path that I know they use to get to the garden after they jump the fence.
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Jul 15, 2014 2:45 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Ohhhh Cinta,what a problem.
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Jul 16, 2014 7:20 AM CST
Name: Polly Kinsman
Hannibal, NY (Zone 6a)

Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Region: United States of America Irises Lilies
Seller of Garden Stuff Garden Ideas: Level 1
Wow, Cinta, it almost makes you wonder if it's all worth it.
Avatar for laraspberry
Jul 16, 2014 11:30 AM CST

Here we have tons of both deer and elk and in my three years of gardening at this location, I have had the best luck so far this year with the granular Deer Scram and Deer Stopper spray. I've even managed to keep all my lettuce this year with just a swath of the granular repellent applied around the perimeter.
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Jul 16, 2014 11:35 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
This is good to hear. I have been looking for a different repellant. Liquid Fence doesnt work anymore.
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Jul 18, 2014 5:29 AM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Wow Cinta, that is extreme. It must be very frustrating. Group hug
No deer here, but a lot of rabbits. I have read several articles that all say it is more effective if you rotate your repellant products. Apparently they get used to one or another and begin to ignore it. I think that is true. I used one granular product for quite awhile and it worked very well, but then I started to see damage again. Then I started to switch off with that and another different product after it rained or whatever and have had less issues.
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
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Jul 19, 2014 7:38 AM CST
(Zone 6a)
My dogs are rabbit and squirrel repellent, though in my unfenced front yard, the squirrel mafia goes wild. I put out a couple of new sempervivums that I potted up and the $#@&*^! squirrels dug both of them up. Then they proceeded to hang out on my front porch table and chide my cats for chattering at them, starting a loud 5am cat uproar.

Full disclosure: I am a hypocrite, I have one squirrel named Hazel that I love. I treat her for fleas and deworm her and feed her from my hand. Never when the dogs are out, of course.
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Jul 26, 2014 7:05 PM CST
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
The only plants that I have that are safe are on the patio.

I dreamed of having land to so I could garden until my hearts content. I dreamed of being able to go to the store and if I saw a plant I could buy it and not think that I did not have the space for any more flowers. I finally got the land but I forgot to wish for no critters that would eat them before I could enjoy them.

I love Hostas. That is deer and groundhog favorite dish. Putting garlic and hot pepper on them is like adding Italin dressing. I love Daylilies that is squirrels and rabbit food. They love the young leaves as they emerge buds. I brought 45 new daylilies and I will not get to see them bloom this year. I thought I was good until I went out and in one night they ate most of the buds of most and some they ate all the buds.

I am stubborn I will not give up. I think if I keep trying and buying new gadgets something will eventually work and I will have my dream.
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Jul 27, 2014 3:17 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Cinta : Thats awful. Nobody but other gardeners knows how depressing it is to expect blooms and have them snatched away.
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Jul 28, 2014 5:29 PM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I can relate, too. We had rain Saturday and Sunday so it washed away the repellent. A rabbit ate yet another one of my coleus last night. Grumbling

Karen
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Jul 29, 2014 3:24 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Karen, That makes me think I have been lucky all these years with coleus in planters on the deck.
It might be my imagination but there seems to be more munching this summer. The deer ate the last of DD's sunflowers last night.
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Jul 29, 2014 5:28 AM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
The rabbits are taking over our subdivision. We have generations of them, from tiny babies to big adults.

The deer ate my next door neighbor's tomato plants last week. As long as I keep bird netting over mine they leave them alone. Oh, and there's chicken wire around them to keep out the rabbit's too.

Karen
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Jul 29, 2014 5:39 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
We need more predictors.
Avatar for Woodsmiss
Jul 29, 2014 7:15 PM CST

.....Predators?
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Aug 6, 2014 7:14 PM CST
Name: aud/odd
Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
Garden Ideas: Level 1
ge1836 said:Cinta : Thats awful. Nobody but other gardeners knows how depressing it is to expect blooms and have them snatched away.


Yes I know only another gardener would understand how heart breaking it is to go out and see nothing left. The only plant I have that do not grow back are the Heucheras. But those things are expensive. I started buying them when I see them for less than 5.00 because I know that if the winter does not kill them my deer will.

I fell in love with Heucheras because they reminded me of coleus. I was excited thinking how wonderful to have a perennial coleus.
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Aug 6, 2014 9:26 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Bob
Vernon N.J. (Zone 6b)
Aquarium Plants Bookworm Snakes Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Heucheras
Echinacea Hellebores Dog Lover Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Hostas Region: New Jersey
I am glade the deer here have not developed a taste for Heuchera, I guess I have enough Hosta to keep them satisfied.
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Aug 7, 2014 6:15 AM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I'm really disappointed in Liquid Fence. I've used it for years with good effect. This last bottle I bought smells different (more like garlic, less rotten egg), and every time I spray it leaves ugly white spots on the plants. It still seems to work well but it makes the plants look ugly and stupid. The product is the ready to use one in the gallon size spray bottle.

I emailed the company and they told me they haven't changed the formulation. I don't believe that.

Karen
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Aug 7, 2014 7:43 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Thanks for your Liquid Fence rant Karen.
I have used the concentrate for years and find it doesnt work here any more. It was so bad I was spraying every few days much less the three month the company said an application would last.
I stopped buying it and thought it was MY problem after your tale I wont be tempted to buy anymore.
I went to alternating with Repellzall but still not much affect.

I bought Deer Off which contains redpepper It works but is very expensive.

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