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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > I hate deer. Now what?
 
 


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brettjm

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hello all,

I successfully made my first air layer earlier this summer, and the plant grew to a nice, healthy  18+ inches with 4 different branches.  Next step, plant that baby in the front yard and have my first in ground tree.  Only one problem, the deer, although they don't really seem to like the fig, have no problem sampling it day by day while reaching that conclusion (a problem I don't have with my fenced in back yard...I thought deer didn't eat fig trees anyways?).  Well, 5 days go by, and there is virtually nothing left of my poor fig.

Naturally, I plan to call up my friend and see if he's interested in some bow hunting, and I'll certainly get a little cage come next year, but I have a more pressing problem.  The branches on the fig tree still exist, and they seem to be trying to bud again.  We're about 1.5-2 months out from leaf dropping, and I don't want my tree to spend a bunch of energy when its not going to get any good return out of it.  Do I let it do its thing, or do I pinch the buds off and try to force it into dormancy for the year?  I planted it a couple weeks ago (wrong time of year, I know, but it was already getting root bound)

Thanks for any advice.
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In GA, Zone 7b/8a
 
Wish list:  more space to put in figs.
ediblelandscapingsc

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Let it be
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South Carolina zone 7b-8
SCfigFanatic

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Deer will not eat anything I put sevin dust on.
I use it on cuttings after I first put them in the ground.

Try to find a dust that ruins the taste for the deer.
Once they try it they leave em alone.

Doug

I hate promoting sevin, but it does have it's uses.

edit:
Im doing a experiment on using hot pepper spray
around my property to see if I can keep them
wishing to go elsewhere.
pino

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
I find Bird netting works fine to deter deer from my young nut trees.

There are some excellent techniques for deer deterrents here;

 http://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Hunt_Trap/deer/deer_damage/ddmtnonlethal.asp
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Pino, zone 6, Niagara,  JCJ Acres
Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.
barnhardt9999

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
I reached the conclusion that they don't really like figs either, but when you live in city you have to contend with dozens of deer each taking a sample. I've found that milorganite will keep them away for a few weeks.

I envy the people outside the cities. They can just make jerky out of trespassers.
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waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
I LOVE DEER,........ on a plate! with boiled potatoes, green beans, carrots, nice mushroom gravy and bountiful plate of figs on the side.
LizzieB

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
hang some cheap dollar store soap in the area. I pull a cheap supermarket bag through a hole drilled in the middle. It amplifies the scent, collects water, dumps on a nosy deer and has a strange texture, even makes noise in the wind. Perfect! Deer hate it...
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Luise Area 7 a, Central North Carolina W-S
Celeste UNK, 15 year old disease free, very abundant, nice sized fruit.

I've got the fever, as Ms.Javajunkie gifted me so very many cuttings.
Experimentation in progress... all of my own cuttings got slimy. Ms.Javajunkie gifts are showing tiny leaves and roots. So very excited Black Greek, Po di Limone and Black Triana are growing in little cups.  
NativeSun

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
A compound bow works wonders.

If you are a vegetarian, donate the meat to the poor...they'll be happy for the bounty of the land.

Sevin dust works nicely as has been mentioned as a non-lethal alternative. A
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James, North Florida zone 9A
pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Saw a new product the other day that supposedly repelled deer, but don't remember the details. You might do a little googling.
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