Deer damage to trees, shrubs and other valuables in the landscape can literally show up over night. While you are snug in your bed with visions of that last fabulous meal you had dined on, the deer are making such of your garden. Your Taxus (yew) becomes a Deer Salad, your Azalea and Rhododendron is slated for toothpicks or the likes of a pincushions and the Arborvitae? The deer like to try their skills at the art of Topiary – Some are better than others.
As spoken by Tom Dayton of Dayton Nurseries in Norton during our discussion of deer– Taxus IS a deer salad! – And those of you who know Tom Dayton also know that no discussion is complete without a fabulous tidbit of information or a Nugget of Dayton Gold as I call them.
Did you know that the Taxus (yew) shrub is poisonous to humans as well as cattle? Cattle will die within twenty-four hours of consuming Taxus – though deer are completely immune.
This week NEOhiogarden.com and Dayton Nurseries are advising you to be diligent in the prevention of deer damage. Deer are also attracted to the bark & twigs of many varieties of trees as well as fragrant viburnum and other shrubs. We recommend using the following measures to prevent deer from making a banquet of your garden:
Check your trees and shrubs for any previous damage.
Spray Liquid Deer Fence on your trees and shrubs when the temperatures are above freezing. Spray them until the Liquid Fence runs off of the tree or shrub and they are dripping wet – This is where 8 oz of prevention is worth 1 gallon of cure. Tom Dayton advises it is relatively cheap to buy the Liquid Deer Fence in concentrate – 16 fl oz to 2 gallons of water. You can use Liquid Deer Fence on evergreen as well as deciduous plantings and If this is the first time you are using it Tom also recommends repeating the application in about a week – Make sure the temperatures are above freezing – This should keep you protected for about a month after the second application.
You can also install a tree guard around the trunk of any young or susceptible tree– the corrugated style or wrap style should be installed on the trees trunk from the soil line up until a bit over the height a deer could chew or rub. Do not apply the wrap so tightly that it may cause trunk damage or cut off the trees circulation.
You may want to return to this task within the month and keep a journal of your applications and findings.
If you should have a question or conundrums in the garden do not hesitate to write in – We are here to help!
We’ve included a link to Tom Dayton’s Dayton “Dirt” January 5, 2013
http://www.daytonnursery.com/Blogs.htm
And we’ll conclude with another Nugget of Dayton Gold;
Did you know if you spray your spring bulbs with Liquid Deer Fence when they are 2-3” tall in the spring it will stop the deer and other critters from demolishing them?
Until next week…as far as deer go…better eight on the roof than one eating in the garden!
