how to keep deer from eating small apple and peach trees.
ball44
13 years ago
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fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
13 years agoimred
13 years agoRelated Discussions
How can I keep raccoons away from my apple tree?
Comments (24)This is a very old post but I would just mention that where the OP lives, killing raccoons is illegal and any trapping must be done only with live or Hav-A-Hart traps. And then you have the issue of what to do with the trapped coon........ Electrified fencing is effective and relatively easily done. Friends who lived almost in downtown Seattle - a highly populated urban area - had a small fish pond in their entry courtyard that was decimated by nightly visits from raccoons until they installed an electrified fence around it. Urban dwelling raccoons are highly adaptable and intelligent animals. And with few natural predators aside from cars and the occasional dog. I live in a much more rural area very close to Seattle and raccoon issue are much less of a concern here as the coyotes keep populations in check (as do cars....too many raccoon bodies along the side of the road). I rarely have any issues with raccoons in my garden but the deer are another problem altogether!! And do far more damage than any raccoon!!...See MoreLow-chill apple/peach tree update - how are yours??
Comments (4)Ein Shemer goes from starchy tart to mushy blandness in about 30 seconds, and blossoms too late to pollinate anything; but yes, it's quite productive (seems to be an unwritten law that the worse quality an apple is, the more productive it is). If you like tart cooking apples, Bramley Seedling does will in low-chill, high heat climates and stays crisp and very, very tart with matching sweetness; they are always meant to be cooked. Granny Smith does OK also. The commercial varieties can be found at Stark Bros. Nursery, Cummins Nursery, Raintree Nursery, and Grandpa's Orchard. Trees of Antiquity will have most of the heirlooms, and Century Farm Orchards have all the Old Southern varieties. Ignore any of the chill-hour ratings any of these nurseries list with the apples; they are wrong. Buy the ones on the most vigorous rootstock; a hot climate has a stunting effect on growth. We prefer M111 here, even for espalier. Applenut...See MoreDeer eating my fruit trees
Comments (4)I wish I had some good news for you, but here are the facts: deer will eventually get used to anything if they are hungry enough or like a plant enough. All the products saying they will keep deer away are going to be, at best, temporary. 'Jetting' sprinklers can be somewhat effective, but unless they are motion activated you can lose a lot of money. You can net the trees like many pros do - I believe the netting is available through many garden supply companies. You may anger some birders, though, as birds can get caught up in the netting. The most effective deterrent and the most expensive... a very high fence. We're talking twelve feet. Deer can jump quite high when determined. I always hated giving customers the 'low down' on deer because there's just no easy, inexpensive answer. The very callous response from some people is to hunt them and thin the population so that the native flora is enough to satisfy them. Unfortunately, it's a valid point. Best to you, Ging...See MoreDeer eating my fruit trees
Comments (1)I've read all sorts of things that are supposed to repel deer, but the only thing I've found that really works is to put up a chicken wire or hardware cloth cage that stays in place until your trees have grown big enough that the deer can't hurt them. The cage doesn't have to be anything elaborate, just a circle around them, staked well enough that it can't blow away. If the trees are already fairly tall, the cages will need to be a little bit wider so that the deer can't easily stretch their heads over to grab a bite. If it's too much work, they'll go elsewhere....See Moreglenn_10 zone 4b/5a NewBrunswick,Can.
13 years agooregonwoodsmoke
13 years agoalan haigh
13 years agomarc5
13 years agoalan haigh
13 years agotcstoehr
13 years agomarc5
13 years ago
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