Deer Destroyed New Lapin Cherry. Help!

11 years ago

As you can see from the photo, I planted a new Lapin Cherry this spring and the deer just got it last night. It was really taking off, partly due to the deer earlier in the year. It was growing ok and leafing out, but then in late June a deer came through and bit the end off the top branch. Within three weeks that branch had split off into three branches and the entire tree just took off.

But now we are approaching winter and last night they munched off all the leaves. I don't know whether I should feed and water it and try to get it to leaf out again before winter, or just leave it alone.

I know that most pruning books say to prune cherry trees in the summer, but we are officially a month past summer now and I'm afraid it is too late to try anything this year.

Advice?

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Comments (16)

lucky_p
11 years ago
This late in the season, I wouldn't be trying to push new growth. But, you probably need to be thinking about 'protection' - eating the leaves off, this late in the year is not a big deal - but if a buck decides to polish his antlers on your young tree, he can - overnight - pretty well demolish it.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
only the leaves that were going to fall off in a few weeks.. who cares ...

your problem is figuring out how to stop them from coming back and eating the rest.. for the rest of the winter ...

its obvious you feed your lawn.. its roots are under the lawn.. NEVER feed it double ...

water late into the season.. and get some mulch on it..

and figure out how to stop them from eating wood next time

ken

ps: nice rock work back there ...
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franktank232
11 years ago
Leave it... You need to protect it somehow or start eating more venison :)

Lapins is a very good self pollinating sweet cherry (i have one).
whaas_5a
11 years ago
Can we see more of your landscaping? Looks very interesting in the background!
famartin
11 years ago
In zone 4-5, it probably would have lost its leaves within a month from now anyway. Like everyone else has said, don't even think about encouraging it to leaf before then. Just find a way to keep the deer away from it.
Embothrium
11 years ago
Tree needs to be mulched and fenced. Yard may need to be fenced if you are not going to be constantly subject to the whims of deer. Lowering temperatures and shortening day length liable to be telling tree to shut down, you might not be able to get it to flush this late anyway.
brettn_10
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the responses guys. I'll leave it alone. I'm probably going to wrap it in burlap and mulch to protect it this winter cause it always hits -20F for a couple weeks and i don't want to lose it.

I don't use synthetics on the lawn. Alfalfa, Milorganite, and occassional compost so there is no danger in double feeding the trees.

Thanks also for the kind words on the rock wall. I actually have retaining in the front that is about 15 vertical feet and 120 feet long that is more interesting than the small one in the back, i'll snap a pic or two for those interested.
brettn_10
Original Author
11 years ago
Here's a couple pics of the rest of the rock work.
brettn_10
Original Author
11 years ago
Here's a little closer up of front rocks work
brettn_10
Original Author
11 years ago
Other side of house looking down
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
I don't use synthetics on the lawn. Alfalfa, Milorganite, and occassional compost so there is no danger in double feeding the trees.

==>>> perhaps you miss my point ... if the roots are under the grass.. and they are .. and you add all that to the grass.. then you will never need to 'additionally' feed the tree ...

the rock work is glorious ... if you did any of it yourself.. triple gold star for you ..

ken
brettn_10
Original Author
11 years ago
I see ken. Thanks for the input. I usually do two applications of alfalfa annually and two heavy applications of milorganite. That is to everything, not just the lawn.

Thanks for the compliments on the rocks. I did do all the work myself.
whaas_5a
11 years ago
Glorious views and landscaping. As those plants grow up it will look even better.

Thanks for taking some time to post photos!

So many landscapes go unnoticed beyond their neighborhood.
whaas_5a
11 years ago
Oh by the way, remove those stakes! Is that rope!?!lol
brettn_10
Original Author
11 years ago
LOL, there is a story behind the stakes and string.

The tree hadn't gotten a good deep water for a while because we have been in drought conditions this year and I am in the mountain desert. It gets hit by the sprinklers a couple times a week, but I figured it would be good to go around and give all the trees a nice deep soak.

I accidentally forgot about it and went about doing other things. Suddenly I heard a crash outside and saw my patio furniture flying across the yard as a severe storm cell blew in out of nowhere; 40mph winds with 60-70mph gusts and we are up on a hillside with no protection.

I looked out at that little cherry and it had accidentally been soaking for so long that there was about 2" of standing water around it and the soil was pure mush. The wind was just about to lay it over as I had only planted it a few months earlier. So I jumped over there and pounded in a couple stakes and tied it up to give it a little extra support. That was about a month ago and I haven't thought about taking them out since. :D
farmboy1
11 years ago
Yeah, the stonework is nice!

I've used fiberglass window screening to keep rabbits from gnawing on my young tree trunks, and it seems to work good. I'd wonder if burlap, being softer, might not stop the Bambis. It is great for shading greenery, though.

vince