What I thought was humans cutting my scapes yesterday turned out to be deer in my urban neighborhood. Neighborhood members of the Next Door online service verified my fears by yesterday evening. They had even posted photographic evidence of the suspects: two bucks seen on my street yesterday at 6 a.m. I've lived here 29 years and have never seen a deer, but neighbors living about 6 blocks away said there have always been a few living by the river. I bought some Gain Fabric Softener and planned to spray that this morning. But when I went outside, I found deer had totally destroyed the scapes on 13 plants in my backyard and parts of 18 more. I had no idea I could lose that many scapes so quickly. The two bucks must have told every deer they knew about my yard. I'm putting out Milorganite and Liquid Fence out later today. What else can I do? My sister asked me last week when I was going to get off this daylily craze. At the time, I didn't see an end to my addiction. But this deer thing may be what finally gets me to drastically downsize.

Don't give up yet. You have gorgeous daylilies. I've heard you need to rotate your deterrents. They're eating the top of my lilies off along with rabbits

What a tragic thing to happen! Maybe all of them will develop rebloom scapes. I do hope the deer will not become a permanent problem. I know some of the neighborhood will love and encourage them, while the rest of the neighborhood would love for them to disappear.

shive1 said:What I thought was humans cutting my scapes yesterday turned out to be deer in my urban neighborhood. Neighborhood members of the Next Door online service verified my fears by yesterday evening. They had even posted photographic evidence of the suspects: two bucks seen on my street yesterday at 6 a.m. I've lived here 29 years and have never seen a deer, but neighbors living about 6 blocks away said there have always been a few living by the river. I bought some Gain Fabric Softener and planned to spray that this morning. But when I went outside, I found deer had totally destroyed the scapes on 13 plants in my backyard and parts of 18 more. I had no idea I could lose that many scapes so quickly. The two bucks must have told every deer they knew about my yard. I'm putting out Milorganite and Liquid Fence out later today. What else can I do? My sister asked me last week when I was going to get off this daylily craze. At the time, I didn't see an end to my addiction. But this deer thing may be what finally gets me to drastically downsize.

My daughter had deer that ate her daylilies and found that a simple fence constructed of green fishing line strung on green metal posts solved the problem. You might like this better than downsizing. You can read about it here:

http://www.rose.org/an-almost-...

I had a similar situation a few year ago, when the deer ate the scapes off 1/3 of my daylilies, a week before my garden was on a garden tour to raise money for a local church.

I first started covering the remaining daylilies that had scapes with netting. I used the black plastic netting sold in rolls. I put this over the tops of the plants. Deer hate this stuff. It is not easily seen and tangles. Since deer do their damage at night and in the early morning, I removed it from the gardens around the house during the day.

Then I sprayed with Bobbex. I have used Bobbex every year since, and it has worked for me. I haven't used Gain, but may try it this year in one area.

I do the first spraying when the scapes first start to form, then again when they are well above the foliage. I also spray my hosta.

Good luck. I am sorry for your losses. I know how frustrating this is.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009F1R0GC/

Debra
So sorry about this devastation.
Year before last one stopped by here and ate thirteen scapes on Jambalaya. Fortunately there was at least eight left. They didn't come back thank goodness, but they are out there in the preserve across the street. All it takes is one visit. Hopefully with the Coyotes around they will stay away. Don't ever give up.

Kathy, I love those. Watched several videos on YouTube.

Debra,
How heartbreaking (and I know it well). I also live in an urban neighborhood and never even thought about deer until a few years ago when I had a similar experience. One or two deer can do incredible damage in a very short time.

I have since become vigilant with deer repellents like liquid fence and it has really helped. I spray early and often around my beds and also periodically around the perimeter of my yard.

The neighbors all think I'm wacko because whenever I see a deer I stare it down and yell "I am a carnivore!" (I'm actually a vegetarian and the deer must suspect because they are not intimidated)

Mike, don't count on coyotes, we have many deer around here and regularly hear the coyotes howling and yipping. They don't seem to deter the deer. Like touchofsky I use Bobbex and it works very well. I've also used the fishing line (clear, haven't tried green) and that worked too.

So sorry to hear that Debra.

Debra, I have used PlantSkydd and have had great luck with it deterring rabbits and deer, we are surrounded by woods. Sorry about the plants.

Unfortunately, gardening is like putting out candy for the critters to eat. We can sure try. I like the idea Carol had. I have used liquid fence with decent luck. Know others that use plantskyd

Great ideas, everyone! Thanks for the sympathy and hugs too!
Carol - I love the idea of the green fishing line fence for my front garden. I will look for supplies today!

Valerie and Sue - I will check into Bobbex too!

wireless deer fence works for me pretty well.

Jill - Your post cracked me up! I can imagine you yelling, "I'm a carnivore!" When you're a vegetarian!!!

Valerie - How did you secure the black netting, and where did you buy it?

Frillylily - Where did you get the wireless deer fence?

Debra, so sorry to hear because your plants were beautiful. I especially liked Ultimate Sacrifice. Hopefully you will get reblooms since it is early in the season. Between the rust, aphids, thrips, leaf streak, deer and mother nature, a gardener can get frustrated.

shive1 said:Jill - Your post cracked me up! I can imagine you yelling, "I'm a carnivore!" When you're a vegetarian!!!

Valerie - How did you secure the black netting, and where did you buy it?

With some of the plants, I just draped it over at night, being careful to not have the scapes sticking up through the mesh. In other areas, we cut stakes from thin strips of wood, and floated the mesh over the stakes, securing if we had to.

The mesh is easy to find at most hardware stores or garden centres. It is very lightweight, black in colour and mainly sold for keeping birds from eating berries and fruit. It is sold in rolls and inexpensive.

I needed an immediate fix to my problem, and wanted to preserve what was left of the scapes. This worked. Since I have been using Bobbex every year, I do not see as many deer tracks in my garden, so I haven't had to use the mesh on the daylilies. I still use it on my veggies, though, since I can't spray them.

I have it at the ready, though, if I see any sign of them.

Debra, I'm so sorry to hear about your daylilies!

My DH used to deliver newspapers, and I rode with him once (bc he and DD#2 thought I would love to see some of the beautiful homes along his route. Of course, they were right! ), and there were deer all around those neighborhoods. That was an amazing sight for me bc that's the first time I had ever seen (live) deer. My grandfather had a stuffed buck's head in his den, hanging over the head of the bed that I slept in when we would visit! Why on earth I was chosen to sleep in that room, ILO one of my brothers, is beyond me! It sure took some getting used to! Anyway, I digress..These neighborhoods were in what I call the transition suburbs. Still citified in a way, and I was quite surprised to see deer in those neighborhoods! They all have beautiful landscaping and gardens, and I would think that I'm glad those deer haven't visited my neck of the city!

It never ocurred to me that deer would venture in to the actual city! As I've read the issues that many a rural gardener have with deer, I've always thought to myself, "Boy I'm glad that I don't ever have to worry about deer!" Well this post really opened my eyes!! We've lived in the city proper for 27 years, and not one deer to be seen, but definitely anything can happen, and it's still alarming just the same! Quite upsetting, and I feel for anyone who has damaged plants from any source!

Forgive me of my rookie ignorance , but Milorganite can be considered a deterrent for critters? I do use Milorganite, but I'm just curious if there's an extra perk?