Deer ravaged garden
 

I've just spent a ton of money re-planting several large beds only to wake
up this morning to find that deer have visited overnight and stripped most
of the plants.

Two questions...
* What to do with the plants that have been mauled by the deer, especially
the roses. Should I prune back the areas that have been stripped?
* As most of my garden is surrounded by large hedges there are only a couple
of areas the deer could have penetrated. What are the best options for
securing the parameters against further deer raids?

The message
from "davout" contains these words:

I've just spent a ton of money re-planting several large beds only to wake
up this morning to find that deer have visited overnight and stripped most
of the plants.

Two questions...
* What to do with the plants that have been mauled by the deer, especially
the roses. Should I prune back the areas that have been stripped?
* As most of my garden is surrounded by large hedges there are only a
couple
of areas the deer could have penetrated. What are the best options for
securing the parameters against further deer raids?

I used to work on a deerstalking estate, and at dangerous places on the
road we had fourteen foot high deer fencing.

Red or fallow deer will jump any hedge you can grow without waiting for
years (apart from leylandii or similar): they, roe, muntjack, etc will
push through it if they can't jump it.

A triple-two and a freezer is the answer...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

These are large thick hedges - 2 to 3 three thick and around 6 feet tall in
most places.

Where there are gaps I'm wondering what the best type of protection might
be? Netting or wire fence?


"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
k...
The message
from "davout" contains these words:

I've just spent a ton of money re-planting several large beds only to
wake
up this morning to find that deer have visited overnight and stripped
most
of the plants.

Two questions...
* What to do with the plants that have been mauled by the deer,
especially
the roses. Should I prune back the areas that have been stripped?
* As most of my garden is surrounded by large hedges there are only a
couple
of areas the deer could have penetrated. What are the best options for
securing the parameters against further deer raids?

I used to work on a deerstalking estate, and at dangerous places on the
road we had fourteen foot high deer fencing.

Red or fallow deer will jump any hedge you can grow without waiting for
years (apart from leylandii or similar): they, roe, muntjack, etc will
push through it if they can't jump it.

A triple-two and a freezer is the answer...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

I used to work on a deerstalking estate, and at dangerous places on the
road we had fourteen foot high deer fencing.

Be fair - SOME of that was to allow for deep snow in the winter,
and that would have been red deer.

A triple-two and a freezer is the answer...

Or a pet leopard, let loose in the garden ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"davout" wrote in message
.. .
These are large thick hedges - 2 to 3 three thick and around 6 feet tall
in
most places.

Where there are gaps I'm wondering what the best type of protection might
be? Netting or wire fence?
some electric tape and a small battery operated energiser.

The message
from "davout" contains these words:

These are large thick hedges - 2 to 3 three thick and around 6 feet tall in
most places.

Where there are gaps I'm wondering what the best type of protection might
be? Netting or wire fence?

Post and rail. (Then you can grow (say) loganberries, tayberries,
blackberries etc there, and make use of the rails.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Janet Baraclough writes
The message
from "davout" contains these words:


* As most of my garden is surrounded by large hedges there are only a
couple
of areas the deer could have penetrated. What are the best options for
securing the parameters against further deer raids?

It doesn't matter what hedges and fences you have; unless you have 6
or 7ft drive- gates and keep them shut except for the couple of minutes
it takes to get ALL cars in or out,, the deer will just enter that way.

My main garden is behind the house and yard, and they would either have
to cross a fenced paddock or come though a small gap with a garden gate
to get to plants.

What height are your plants cropped to? If up to say 18" then your
problem may 'just' be muntjac :-))

I find a normal post and rail fence (3 rails) with stock fencing (the
small squares getting bigger) works fine, and I have had no more muntjac
visiting. The roe tend to wander along the road and are very shy of
entering any confined space they cannot get out of very quickly. Can you
tell by the footprints?

I'd certainly go for something substantial where they come through - and
make it secure well to either side, plus any weak areas in the hedge. If
one can squeeze through I've watched the rest of the herd follow suit -
which around here is 40 or so animals.

--
David