Deer pruning often results in a nice bushy plant. Except when they go after arborvitae, they turn those into lollipops, eating what they can reach and leaving the tops. Rhodies often sprout from what looks like totally bare brown wood. They're very good about sprouting from wherever you happen to want to cut them back to, like a boxwood, and unlike a lot of other woody plants. Around here people routinely take a too-tall monster rhodie and cut it down to the ground almost to rejuvenate it. They usually will resprout from the stump. A bit extreme but it should give you hope. Some species and varieties are naturally leggy, like our native rhodies here in the PNW are naturally leggy. Part of that is whether they're 1yr or 2 yr or 3 yr rhodies - how long they hold an individual leaf before dropping it. Each species and variety is either a 1 or 2 or 3 yr type. The wild rhodies I see growing in the mountains appear to be 2 yr rhodies which tends to leave them bare at the bases. Also they drop the bottom leaves if they're in dry or lean soil, only so much water and nutrients to go around so they sacrifice the oldest leaves. Cool and cloudy is just what your rhodie wants if it's trying to replace lost leaves with a immature root ball! I think it'll be fine. Deer don't normally eat rhodies but there's always a dumb one that doesn't know any better, or a starving one that's desperate. It won't necessarily be repeated.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever took, and it may have come from this forum, was to take some time and plan out your growing year on a spreadsheet, day by day, and almost hour to hour. The first year I did this, my profit showed a significant improvement. For instance, I know the day in February that I need to seed onions, how many to seed, the day I will transplant them, and where I will transplant them. I also know when I expect to harvest them. I do this for each crop, and from this plan, I know what and how much I will have to sell at each week's market. And since I have a pretty good idea of how much I am going to ask for each crop, I have a pretty good idea of what my projected revenues will be, if sales are good. Also I keep a spreadsheet for each market day, what and how much of each crop I brought, how much sold, and what I priced it at. This is invaluable when it comes to doing the next year's planning. It drives me crazy to actually plan this all out, all the details, flipping the calendar back and forth, etc, but it is so worth it! Two years ago, I got the Quickbooks computer program. I wish I had done this years before. Once you get the hang of it, it is easy to keep up with the data imput, and at a click I can see what our expenses for the year are running, what our sales are, and what our profit and loss statement looks like. Are you doing this mostly by yourself? And are you also responsible for child care and meals, and laundry etc? Put that stuff into your planning because it will tell you what is doable and what is not.For instance, I have Monday mornings blocked out for errands- the shopping, banking, etc. And my day ends at 5 because I am the cook in the family. Over time we have come to know what grows well for us, and where on the property it does the best. Don't rule out flowers as a money maker. We have planted peonies (they don't need rabbit or deer fencing) and I sell them to florists as well to our usual customers. I sold daffodil straight bunches this week, and I hope to do well on them next week as they look so nice on Easter tables. Think about perennial crops that can do well. As we have aged, we have decreased the amount of annual cropping that we do as many of them require weekly seeding, transplanting, and harvesting. We have expanded rhubarb, and blueberries. I would do asparagus if our soil wasn't so rocky. We also do hardneck garlic (once you pay for the first seed garlic, your own garlic can be self-perpetuating), and onions (plant once and don't need rabbit and deer fencing.) Read all you can. I got so much out of Eliot Coleman's The New Organic Grower, and we have had a subscription to Growing for Market since day one. We never did well with raspberries as we only had a once a week market, and they just spoiled. Same situation with strawberries. I think that organic fruit trees in the Northeast is very tough. We have never gone there. Good luck with whatever you decide. Market gardening is a tough way to make money, so only do it if you love it. But it has its advantages. You can be home, you are your own boss, you can involve your kids if they are at all so inclined, and, as several previous posters have noted, you can eat like royalty. We could never afford to eat like we do if we didn't grow it ourselves. Last year I grew melons.....oh my!

The trunk is about 1 inch thick, or 1 1/4 inch maximum, but, it hasn't grown very good at all since planted, I thought that Willow oaks were quick growers. Maybe there is something wrong with the soil right around where the little tree is growing. It's year 3 and the seedling is about 2-3 feet maximum. WE've had good rain the past couple years here. I know the deer rub messed up the tree but, it is just not making any ground. I do also have a Q.Michauxxi about 45-50 feet away that is on the property line that is still about 2 feet tall, which is not much smaller than when I got it from the nursery, at least 4 years ago,(mossy oak natives) and the nursery has sent me so many trees that have grown very well, I'm starting to think my neighbor on the property line, may be trying to stop my trees from ruining his view of the wildlife or something. I have tried at least 4 trees on that property line, and nothing seems to wanna grow. He's got a row of 4-5 Silver Maples there, so I never thought that the property line was some place that we should not plant on. I don't wanna get all paranoid about my trees, but.....when you've tried 4 trees, and none of them seems to grow there.......but, anyway, I'll just stop trying to grow on the property line, no biggie, but, I do want a tree where the Willow oak is now. I just may wait and see if it can eventually grow normal, but, then again, I do want something there growing, putting on height and girth, and I don't think the little Willow oak will ever be a real tree doing fine. If you wanna see a pic just say so, but, it's pretty contorted and twisted outta shape. WEll, maybe I don't REALLY need to plant a big tree there. Once my bigger growing oaks get mature whoever lives there after I croak can plant a nice understory tree. I just kinda wanted to have all of my larger oaks planted and growing well, but, maybe where the Willow oak is can remain bare in my lifetime.

There are probably many good dogs in shelter that were raised with cats and leave them alone...worth looking into..I have threatened the shotgun here. I had two deer discover my garden a couple years ago and they enjoyed only one plant, which is good, because a shotgun (which I do not have) may have come into play. I remember that Julie (can't remember her last name...I do good to remember mine) She used to blog, but I understand she Facebooks now instead..she was president of the Daylily society a couple years ago, anyhow, she put up a black fence and it actually didn't detract from her gorgeous garden. I do live in a very small town and SERIOUS steps would have to be taken if the deer came back. I do feel for you! kay