Quote:
Originally Posted by Eukofios
Deer have eaten low leaves and branches from my young fig trees. In addition, rabbits have eaten small fig starts, chopping the entire tree off to the ground level. Same for pawpaws and persimmons - which they are not supposed to eat, but apparently they didn't read that book Voles chew off the bark. My rabbits also like eating onions. The ideal eating height for deer, here, is 3 to 4 feet high, up to 5 feet high. Even though the deer can reach higher, I have arbor vitaes that have a poodle-trim, where the deer ate all of the lower branches, and stopped at 5 feet, so the tops are much more bushy. In our area, at least, deer leave taller plants alone, but the other herbivores chew off shorter plants.
I had some benefit from spray-on deterrent, but not 100%. Deer love plum leaves and branches, and I managed to salvage a plum tree by repeatedly spraying with stinky spray, until the plum height was above what the deer browse. Our climate is rainy so repeat applications are needed, and the spray also caused leaf damage.
Our property is 2 acres - too large for an expensive deer exclusion fence all around the property. And that would not keep out small herbivores which can be just as destructive.
Here is what I do. It's not cheap - but not too bad, or easy - but not too hard, but it works so far.
First, for the small animals, I have a cylinder of hardware cloth surrounding the trunk I make it large enough that I hope they accommodate several years trunk expansion, usually about 3 or 4 inches diameter. These are about 18 inches to 2 feet tall, whatever is the height to the lowest branch. I cut the hardware cloth with wire cutters, roll into a cylinder and fasten the edge together with a few zip ties. I have about an inch of overlap on the edge. After the first couple, it becomes very easy. I use 1/4 inch hardware cloth, but I used to use 1/2 inch, and never had any animal chew through that. I switched because I read the 1/4 inch is better, so when I bought more, it was 1/4 inch. Each year, I check to make sure they are not too tight, and replace if the trunk has grown too close to the hardware cloth.
Then for the larger trees and shrubs, I construct a round fence using 2 steel fence poles, 5 feet tall above ground. So I guess those are 6 foot posts. I use the cheapest steel fencing I can get, which is usually has spaces about 2 inches by 4 inches spaces, and buy 5 feet height. I unroll it to make a very big cylinder, usually about 5 feet diameter. I fasten one side to a fence post with zip ties, and the other side serves as a "gate", held shut with plastic clothespins. That lets me get in to maintain the tree or shrub. The 2nd steel fence post is opposite the first, for support.
So far the deer have not broken through these fences, even though they are not constructed super solid. I used to make box-like fences for trees, 4 fence posts to a box, and fasten the fencing all around, but it's more money and effort. The inside of the circles, or boxes, is mulched so I don't have to worry about mowing inside the fences. When I used smaller cylinders, and the branches grew through the fencing deer would grab the branch end and chew like someone slurping spaghetti, leaving the branch much shorter than one would expect. But branches growing about the fencing, they have left alone unless the branches droop below 5 feet. I don't know why they don't try to reach higher. It may be they can't watch for safety and eat high at the same time.
I tried chicken wire, but it is too flimsy, and I kept getting cuts and scratches from it. The stiffer galvanized steel fencing is less hassle and safer.
I read that urine works. We pee-cycle, and it has no effect on deer at all I have 2 large dogs, who are indoors mostly, and use the orchard as their bathroom. That has no effect on the deer, although if I had the dogs out there 24/7 it might. But they like to get into trouble, and they are my best friends, so I don't leave them unattended. Attaching shiny stuff, dog hair - and when un-bathed, they get pretty stinky, or Irish Spring soap, no effect. Blood meal, no effect, including the blood meal with hot pepper. Stinky sprays, which are expensive, do help, but they wash off. I have not tried the home made egg and garlic and hot pepper spray.
The fencing is a one-time thing for each tree, so it's easier in the long run and seems to work for me. So far.