[cjet69]

We have a few grape vines between the Apple trees in our orchard and the deer have stripped most of the leave off a couple of the vines. Last year we didn't have a problem. We are going to try an electric fence an see if that helps.

 

[PA318Guy]

I've heard folks say that they eat tomatoes too but I've never had them do it in our garden. I thought they were eating the corn when we had it in the garden by my old shed, turned out it was our dogs eating it! I hadn't thought to protect against the dogs!

 

[UrbanTractor]

Beautiful orchard!

 

[mopar65pa]

Get a cross bow and turn them in to freezer food!

 

[c5rulz]

At least the apple trees are high enough they can't hurt them much. Generally I am skeptical of any fencing other than 8' deer fencing but the hot wire might work.

This is what I put in before planting.

 

[Alien5044]

I have a couple beds filled with Hostas, several varieties. This year the deer have eaten off every leaf on them, leaving the bed looking like a package of celery stalks at the grocery store. Last year the left them alone. Noticed more bedding down closer to the house than last year. The take off when I walk the dogs but are less afraid of us. We do not feed them.

Other items this year vs last:
Frogs in the lake are much fewer.
Same with fire flies, they are there, but not as abundant.
Turtles are the same, maybe a few fewer seen laying eggs on the lawn. Snappers still number a few seen so far, same as year ago. One "buddy" that visits the garage is now measuring about 14" front of shell to back.
Deer Flies are awful this year, there were virtually none last summer.
Mosquitos are abundant, much more than last summer.

 

[Flaken]

Could try peppermint essential oil on rags attached near where you don't want them to eat.

 

[jechrist2]

A neighbor uses monofilament fish line to make a fence around his garden. If the deer are just ambling along and bump into the fish line that they can't see, they get confused and don't go into the garden.

Later,
Jerry C

 

[bontai Joe]

The vineyards near me all have super tall fences, maybe 10 or 12 feet tall to keep deer out. At the bottom they have tight wire fencing. like chicken wire to keep the raccoons, chipmunks, rabbits and other critters out. The investment has to be huge to protect their vines.

 

[MARK (LI)]

Over at the beach where houses have been built the people all complain about the deer eating their gardens ( the deer were there for a long time before the houses) it sounds like the only plants the deer don't eat are marigolds

 

[Dan2cyldsel!]

I have trouble with deer eating things too. Two years ago after spending the winter in the south we found that the deer had eaten all the green leaves off a rhododendron bush we have had for many years as well as several other ever greens in our landscape. Last winter we saw a small group of deer (12) almost every day from our kitchen window. This year I have seen them eat the tops off our tomatoes we planted outside our fenced garden as they were extra plants we grew.
Last year they devoured our sweet potato plants. I live in a wood surrounded by farm fields so I know they have plenty of other things to eat. One thing I know for a fact, deer do not eat turnips. SIL suggested I give them a food plot on the edge of our wood to draw them away from our house and he said to plant turnips. I have seen no evidence deer eat turnips.

 

[Arml46$]

Well, there's always this....grapes might give them a unique flavor.

 

[Steve Urquell]

Hot wire is the best bet. I've lived with them in my front yard daily for 22 years and nothing other than that or high fencing will stop them. I tried all the folk remedies to keep them off my plants and gave up when they were munching the wife's Elephant ears with bars of soap, dryer sheets, and my dirty socks hanging off of them.

 

[cjet69]

Beautiful orchard!

We let it really go for many years and started to reclaim it the last couple. The trees were like a trellis for the blackberries and grapes. Back then the deer couldn't reach the grapes since they were in the tops of the trees. Here are some before pics in 2018 and as we started the cleanup in 2020.

 

[cjet69]

At least the apple trees are high enough they can't hurt them much. Generally I am skeptical of any fencing other than 8' deer fencing but the hot wire might work.

This is what I put in before planting.

View attachment 2555626

Thats an awesome fence. How many trees do you have in your orchard? Might be a little overkill to save a bucket full of grapes. The deer mostly eat apples that fall on the ground unless they find some low hangers.

 

[UrbanTractor]

We let it really go for many years and started to reclaim it the last couple. The trees were like a trellis for the blackberries and grapes. Back then the deer couldn't reach the grapes since they were in the tops of the trees. Here are some before pics in 2018 and as we started the cleanup in 2020.

View attachment 2555698 View attachment 2555703 View attachment 2555699 View attachment 2555701 View attachment 2555702 View attachment 2555700

Wow what a transformation. A lot of work went into accomplishing that. Well done!

 

[Walt 2002]

I have pictures of Deer standing on their hind legs picking apples. I regularly see Deer tracks in our garden but Sweet Potatoes are the only thing they seem to bother.

Walt Conner

 

[c5rulz]

Thats an awesome fence. How many trees do you have in your orchard? Might be a little overkill to save a bucket full of grapes. The deer mostly eat apples that fall on the ground unless they find some low hangers.

The fence pictures were before planting, in 2016, 2017 & 2018, 680 trees were put in, they are doing good. This spring in bloom. The last pic is what a row looks like from the end

:

 

[MARK (LI)]

That is some beautiful yard @c5rulz ...I have seen deer at my friends farm on hind legs and hopping up a bit to get apples out of trees...he only has a few apple trees and does not care so much for them and he loves seeing the deer in his fields ...he actually plants about 6 acres of corn for them to come and eat ...he sits on the porch with his wife and grandson and just enjoys watching them

 

[cjet69]

@c5rulz, Great looking orchard. The hillside reminds me of the orchards in Eastern WA. though your surrounding landscape is much greener.