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Deer versus shade
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Posted by donnabaskets 7b-8 MS (My Page) on Fri, Nov 6, 09 at 9:04
| Well, they found me. I had a summer of peace, but two nights ago the deer wiped out the chard, the beets, and started on the turnip greens. All this in spite of the electric deer sticks that are in every bed. I know a fence is the only answer. My problem is twofold. My neighborhood has covenants about fences: only stone, brick or iron is allowed ($$). I would much prefer a hedge (growing through and around a wire fence), but I am worried that a hedge would cast too much shade, since my garden has a southern exposure. Any ideas? |
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RE: Deer versus shade
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| Can you check with the neighborhood commitee and see if temporaty fencing is allowed. Electric fencing around the garden perimeter may be viwed differently than encosing your yard with an ugly permanent fence. You could also put in four corner posts in your garden and string rows of heavy fishing line between the posts and say it is a trellis for peas (which the deer just happened to eat.) You might find one of two things, either others are having trouble with deer eating their ornamentals and would view favorably on electric fencing, or that they don't want ugly gardens in the neighborhood and will be against whatever you want to do. |
RE: Deer versus shade
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There are other options too:
1- Deer barrier netting, sold at HD and nurseries.
2- Deer repellant. This one may not work as claimed. But sold everywhere. As mentioned, you can have posts and run twine or nylon to prevent deer from reaching your veggies.
Or, get a shut gun!(??) or even bb gun just to scare them off.
As the cold winter weather arrives, greens become scarce and our veggies gardens become a target for the hungry deers. |
RE: Deer versus shade
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| For many years I have used a single strand electric fence around my vegetable garden. I turn it on only a few nights a year--late summer/early fall and late winter, when deer are looking for food. When I turn it on (after seeing deer sign in yard) I bait the fence with peanut butter--smear some on heavy duty tin foil and clip to fence with clothespins. Once one of them tries it, they're out of the whole area for some months. And they spread the word. Another option is to put deer netting over your late crops. But if they have found your garden, they may be back in summer when the garden is full. Try the fence. |
RE: Deer versus shade
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| Thanks, folks. I am going to talk to my neighbors. Since my garden is really not in public view (and it is, I think, an attractively built potager) I am hoping that they will make an exception in this case. In the meantime, maybe the deer have been shocked since they don't appear to have come back for two or three days now. |
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