Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

MJ

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

wrote in message ...
brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

6 ft is not high enough, they can clear that flat footed.

On Jan 23, 10:31*am, "D. Staples" wrote:
wrote in ...
brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. *If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. *Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

6 ft is not high enough, they can clear that flat footed.

Yes, yes, yes my electric fence works great for my raised vegetable
gardens but I was hoping for something a little more attractive for my
rose garden. I too have tried everything else so I guess I will have
to fire up more juice.
MJ

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:06:05 -0500, wrote:

brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

That's a nice looking fence. You could have gotten a bit more height
by raising the sections another 6" off the ground, deer wouldn't fit
underneath and they don't dig. But most importantly having more space
underneath would facilitate mowing/string trimming... I learned that
the hard way by placing my fencing too close to the ground and then
having to reset it or live with weeds. I truly hope you didn't set
your wooden posts in concrete (sure looks like you did), the concrete
will hold water in the posts and they will rot within less than half
the time they would have set directly into the ground... you can set
metal posts in concrete but never wood (if you're concerned with wind
simply use larger posts, the next size doesn't cost much more... and
you wont need to dig nearly the diameter hole as for concrete), and
occasionally a wooden post will prematurely rot in the ground (could
be a fault in the lumber), you want to be able to jack it out easily
to replace it, can't do that with concrete. Also if you live where
the ground freezes wooden posts set into concrete are much more prone
to heave. Next time you want to build a wooden gate check out the
various metal gate kits... makes for a far sturdier gate and a lot
easier to build. Typically wooden gate posts are 6" X 6"... wooden
fence corner posts are 5" X 5". Who advised you to set your nice
wooden posts in concrete?

I used this gate bracket kit on my vegetable garden gate; very strong,
maintains perfect squareness without cross bracing, hinges are
integrel and trouble free, makes a gate very easy to build, and very
inexpensive: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10584

On Jan 23, 8:52*am, mj wrote:
Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

MJ

There are things they don't eat but nothing I know of will keep them
away from the stuff they like.
As others suggest, fence is the only answer and avoid repellents as if
they even work they wash off eventually.
Only vegetable in my garden deer did not eat was onions.

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:59:44 -0800 (PST), Frank
wrote:

On Jan 23, 8:52*am, mj wrote:
Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

MJ

There are things they don't eat but nothing I know of will keep them
away from the stuff they like.
As others suggest, fence is the only answer and avoid repellents as if
they even work they wash off eventually.
Only vegetable in my garden deer did not eat was onions.

Right, deer won't eat alliums, they won't eat daffodils either. There
are many plants that they won't touch unless they're starving, like
spruce (spruce needles are too sharp, they won't risk nibbling
hawthorn either) but when hungry enough they will eat sharp needled
and thorny plants. And for some reason deer won't eat blueberry
bushes but they will eat the berries, if the birds don't get them
first... I've seen crows take on deer for blueberries and win every
time. The only thing that works to keep deer out is strong fencing,
deer will push through a wood picket fence that's only been nailed. As
to fence height, a lot depends on terrain, unless there is space and
the ground is such for deer to get into a full run they are not going
to clear a six foot fence... and deer aren't stupid, they are not
going to jump a fence into an enclosed space that is too small, they
know how much running space they need to get out, they truly look
before they leap. Deer can leap a great distance but they can't
attain the height some like to think they can. When it comes to
survival deer sensory perception is far more acute then humans... a
deer knows it's physical capability better than any
olympic/professional athlete ever lived. A fawn is taught to run,
leap, dodge and evade from the moment it can stand. I've watched new
born fawns go through their paces together for hours, it only looks
like frolicking to humans but their every movement is deadly serious
business, to deer it's the difference between life and death. Unless
they are being persued by a pack of coyotes a six foot fence will
definitely keep deer out of a typical tract home yard, and if being
persued by preditors deer are not going to stop to snack.

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:53:21 -0500, brooklyn1
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:06:05 -0500, wrote:

brooklyn1 writes:
I truly hope you didn't set
your wooden posts in concrete (sure looks like you did), the concrete
will hold water in the posts and they will rot within less than half
the time they would have set directly into the ground... you can set
metal posts in concrete but never wood (if you're conce. . . . Also if you live where
the ground freezes wooden posts set into concrete are much more prone
to heave. ..... Who advised you to set your nice
wooden posts in concrete?


I don't know where you got your information about wooden posts, but
what you say and what actually happens are two different things. I
have been using wooden post set in concrete for y e a r s (at least
45) and none of the things you mentioned ever happened. If yours are
heaving from frost, you probably did not set them correctly. You
know, I hope, that you set the concrete below the surface level of the
ground so they don't heave.

Glenn Lynn

On 1/23/2010 1:17 PM, brooklyn1 wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:59:44 -0800 (PST), Frank
wrote:

On Jan 23, 8:52 am, wrote:
Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

MJ

There are things they don't eat but nothing I know of will keep them
away from the stuff they like.
As others suggest, fence is the only answer and avoid repellents as if
they even work they wash off eventually.
Only vegetable in my garden deer did not eat was onions.

Right, deer won't eat alliums, they won't eat daffodils either. There
are many plants that they won't touch unless they're starving, like
spruce (spruce needles are too sharp, they won't risk nibbling
hawthorn either) but when hungry enough they will eat sharp needled
and thorny plants. And for some reason deer won't eat blueberry
bushes but they will eat the berries, if the birds don't get them
first... I've seen crows take on deer for blueberries and win every
time. The only thing that works to keep deer out is strong fencing,
deer will push through a wood picket fence that's only been nailed. As
to fence height, a lot depends on terrain, unless there is space and
the ground is such for deer to get into a full run they are not going
to clear a six foot fence... and deer aren't stupid, they are not
going to jump a fence into an enclosed space that is too small, they
know how much running space they need to get out, they truly look
before they leap. Deer can leap a great distance but they can't
attain the height some like to think they can. When it comes to
survival deer sensory perception is far more acute then humans... a
deer knows it's physical capability better than any
olympic/professional athlete ever lived. A fawn is taught to run,
leap, dodge and evade from the moment it can stand. I've watched new
born fawns go through their paces together for hours, it only looks
like frolicking to humans but their every movement is deadly serious
business, to deer it's the difference between life and death. Unless
they are being persued by a pack of coyotes a six foot fence will
definitely keep deer out of a typical tract home yard, and if being
persued by preditors deer are not going to stop to snack.

Netting works well too around some plants and bushes.
They are generally browsers and nibble here and there and move on.
Little things may deter them but when starving they will eat anything
and die with a full stomach of food that would not sustain them.
They will even climb steps to eat something on your porch.

Glenn Lynn wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:53:21 -0500, brooklyn1
wrote:

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:06:05 -0500, wrote:

brooklyn1 writes:
I truly hope you didn't set
your wooden posts in concrete (sure looks like you did), the concrete
will hold water in the posts and they will rot within less than half
the time they would have set directly into the ground... you can set
metal posts in concrete but never wood (if you're conce. . . . Also if you live where
the ground freezes wooden posts set into concrete are much more prone
to heave. ..... Who advised you to set your nice
wooden posts in concrete?


I don't know where you got your information about wooden posts, but
what you say and what actually happens are two different things. I
have been using wooden post set in concrete for y e a r s (at least
45) and none of the things you mentioned ever happened. If yours are
heaving from frost, you probably did not set them correctly. You
know, I hope, that you set the concrete below the surface level of the
ground so they don't heave.

Glenn Lynn


that's true. i set my treated wood posts into concrete and they still
seem fine after about 7 years now. there is no sign that they are
deteriorating yet. i also set the concrete a little bit above ground to
keep water from collecting around the post. but since i am in zone 7b,
i don't have to worry much about heaving.

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message
from contains these words:

brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:
Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?
Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

Your hopes are higher than the fence; get a higher fence and
remember tall the gates have to be the same height (and kept shut).

Janet

it might be too late to get another fence now. one thing you could do
it to add about 2 more feet of net fence on top of the wooden fence.
the net fence is nearly invisible but the posts supporting it might be
unsightly. you can use thin metal/iron rods as posts to support the net
fence.

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:52:40 -0800 (PST), mj
wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

MJ

My roses are not eaten, perhaps being surrounded with garlic helps.
You'll need more than an herb to deter hungry deer--electric fence
works well for me.

"D. Staples" writes:

wrote in message ...
brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

6 ft is not high enough, they can clear that flat footed.

I know, I read 10ft is what's required.

I'm hoping the dense vegetation on both sides of the fence will
help. In places where there is a clear landing zone now I plan
to add plantings or other obstacles.

Most of the deer I see around here are accompanied by fawns.
I hope the fawns can't jump the 6 feet high.

If the town allowed 10 foot fences, I would have built one.

brooklyn1 writes:

On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:06:05 -0500, wrote:

brooklyn1 writes:

mjciccarel wrote:

Are there Herbs that will deter Deer from the garden?

Yes... plant a fence.

Yep, I agree completely.
Absolutely the only thing that has a chance of working.

I've tried everything else. If read the deer don't like this,
they don't like that. Well, the truth is, they may not like some
kinds of plants, but they'll eat them anyway.

Last year I put up a 6 foot high fence:

http://mysite.verizon.net/despen/fence/

I have high hopes for this working.

That's a nice looking fence.

Thanks. I like it too.

You could have gotten a bit more height
by raising the sections another 6" off the ground, deer wouldn't fit
underneath and they don't dig.

The town says 6 feet is max without variance.
I don't think I would have gotten a variance.

But most importantly having more space
underneath would facilitate mowing/string trimming... I learned that
the hard way by placing my fencing too close to the ground and then
having to reset it or live with weeds.

I don't have anywhere the fence meets the lawn.
The only thing growing up to the fence are the pacasandra.
Much of the back yard is pretty dark, nothing grows.
The few weeds I have to pull any way.

I truly hope you didn't set
your wooden posts in concrete (sure looks like you did), the concrete
will hold water in the posts and they will rot within less than half
the time they would have set directly into the ground... you can set
metal posts in concrete but never wood (if you're concerned with wind
simply use larger posts, the next size doesn't cost much more... and
you wont need to dig nearly the diameter hole as for concrete), and
occasionally a wooden post will prematurely rot in the ground (could
be a fault in the lumber), you want to be able to jack it out easily
to replace it, can't do that with concrete. Also if you live where
the ground freezes wooden posts set into concrete are much more prone
to heave. Next time you want to build a wooden gate check out the
various metal gate kits... makes for a far sturdier gate and a lot
easier to build. Typically wooden gate posts are 6" X 6"... wooden
fence corner posts are 5" X 5". Who advised you to set your nice
wooden posts in concrete?

My idea.

The entire fence and gate are pressure treated.
The 4x4 posts are specially treated for being in cement like that.
I think I'm down deep enough to avoid frost heaving.

There is gravel under each post and the concrete slopes away
from the post.

The fence is going thru it's first winter but the gate has seen
a few winters and hasn't moved. So I hope I'm okay.

I installed one 12 foot section of a vinyl fence and gate on the
other side of the house. It's nice but I decided I'd rather
look at wood than vinyl.