Am I an Idiot?

[vfem]

I read deer are turned off by the smell of lavender... and usually don't eat anything growing around it. I however have not tried it!

 

[davaroo]

GO FOR IT!!!
Here's a few ideas for the deer:
1) chicken wire or high plastic fencing
2) fox urine on the outsides of the garden
3) a radio on a timer to go on at about 11PM and off at about 6 AM--you'll want an obnoxious station and/or one with music and talk--like NPR classical music
AND
you'll need to change it periodically, else the deer will learn to like it.
Anybody else got an deer deterrant ideas?

Have any adult male urinate around the perimeter, if a fox cant be coerced into doing so. And if these passive methods fail try "The .30 WCF Solution."

 

[Holachicka]

Thanks everyone!! I have a large, 8' tall enclosure and am using winebarrels as this is my temporary garden, until I can get a waterline to the spot we picked out for the permanent garden. My seedlings have their first set of leaves and are working on their second. hopefully I'll get something, but I guess I won't expect to do much canning... Probably will end up canning lots of pickled green tomatoes!

As far as the deer, last year I did not have any enclosure, I thought that MAYBE if I put a few wine barrels next to the house, they wouldn't eat them trying to stay away... Nope. I even had my hubby releive himself all around there... nope. once they knew the barrels were there it was over... everything got eaten... There are so many deer around here that the only thing you can do is have a tall fence to keep them out! Maybe some hotwire?

 

[journey11]

Sometimes (a lot of times!) when it comes to gardening, things don't go as planned. Don't beat yourself up about it. At least you got your problem areas fixed and you'll be ready for next year.

I know your growing seasons are very different than mine, so what and when I can't elaborate on. But you can still do your canning--just go buy the produce you need. It will still be cheaper, locally and in-season. (And sometimes cheaper than growing it yourself.) When I need more to can, I just gather up a few 5-gallon buckets and cross the river over into Ohio where there are countless U-picks and you don't have to drive far to find what you need. I can get a bushel of canning tomatoes for $5 or a 1/2 bushel of peppers for $5, melons, berries, garlic...you name it. I'm sure you'll have something similar to that within a reasonable drive from where you live.

Then you still have your fall crops and things that only need a short season. You can still get those in. All hope is not lost.

 

[ducks4you]

OOOOOOOO--I FORGOT about livestock hotwire fencing!!
The guy I used to rent paddock space from put it up--I HATED to touch it because it runs right through you!!! The horses learned to smell when it was on, which wasn't always!!!
You can buy a solar power unit, and it attaches to metal fence posts.

 

[Kim_NC]

Human hair and toilet paper are both deer deterents, and work on rabbits too. They will only work until it rains. Once drenched by rain, they lose scent and won't deter critters any longer.


Edit: lose, not loose LOL

 

[Mattemma]

Last year it took me weeks to dig out my driveway garden.I planted ground cherries and tomatillos and got a good crop.

I see nothing wrong with planting well into the fall.You can get crops if you protect in frost.Only thing are the plants needing 100+ days of growing time. I did grow corn late last year.I did not get corn,but the tall plants gave some great privacy.

Besides length of time there are some plants that will not do well starting out in the full heat of summer.You can shade those. I am lazy and just water everything.If it grows great,if not then I try a different way next year.

 

[davaroo]

Thanks everyone!! I have a large, 8' tall enclosure and am using winebarrels as this is my temporary garden, until I can get a waterline to the spot we picked out for the permanent garden. My seedlings have their first set of leaves and are working on their second. hopefully I'll get something, but I guess I won't expect to do much canning... Probably will end up canning lots of pickled green tomatoes!

As far as the deer, last year I did not have any enclosure, I thought that MAYBE if I put a few wine barrels next to the house, they wouldn't eat them trying to stay away... Nope. I even had my hubby releive himself all around there... nope. once they knew the barrels were there it was over... everything got eaten... There are so many deer around here that the only thing you can do is have a tall fence to keep them out! Maybe some hotwire?

Look on the bright side - all those deer = free meat.

Electric fence wire may work, until they learn to jump it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I considered the electric fence option, but you have to keep the grass and weeds cut out from under it so it does not ground itself in the dew or rain. I'm not sure of the exact dimensions so don't build off of these, but the electric deer fence I was looking at was one wire about 8" high with another one about 5' high. Then you put another electric line about 2 or 3 feet back away from the garden about 12 or 18 inches high. The idea is that they cannot walk through the double fence and they get zapped by the outside fence when they position themselves to jump.

All that sounded too complicated, so I went with a passive 10' high system. I put 5 feet of the No Dig Kennel Fencing at the bottom and brace wire at 6', 8',and 10' heights.

 

[Holachicka]

This is what I'm using to keep the deer out, and the emergency any container I could find to grow stuff in garden! I am just so happy that I was able to plant anything at all. I just hope I get some stuff! The fencing we got for a steal last year at $200, But needed it for my chickens until we could finish the coop and run. Hopefully all my hard work will pay off and we'll be eating fresh veggies, eggs, and quail soon!!