That is tough Konrad. I remember porcupines did a number on a sour grower we have around here a few years back. Have you considered a deer fence?

I've often wondered if it would pay to run a kennel around an orchard. If canines are around their scents may ward off unwanted herbivores.

Oh that is not a pretty sight to come upon. I am for sure not a fan of those critters. Between dogs and trees they have cost me a good amount of money. Very little deters a porker once he finds his favourite food. I do hope they will move on after good spanking LOL.

Wow look at all those tooth marks. Sorry Konrad! I hear porcupine is really good to eat...

I'm glad I'm not really concerned about my trees because our neighbour's poplar had EIGHT sapsuckers in it all day the other day! They were flying around and around and squeaking - must be breeding season. All the trees in my yard have at least some sapsucker damage.

Oh boy! The trials and tribulations of gardening in the country! Will they recover? My ex has the same problem out at his place with his apple trees.......

Collin, the dogs would probably do more damage than the wildlife.......or at leas mine "wood". Haha....no seriously. Unless the trees are really large, they often destroy branches and bark too. One reason there are no small trees on the north side of our house anymore. :/

Konrad, may I suggest a thick paddle for an ugly stick? Lol!

Ginny

Oh, that apricot is very badly damaged, very frustrating! Has the tree before produced fruit?

That is too bad. I had heard of a domesticated fox program in Russia that I wanted to participate in. The foxes may not keep the larger animals like deer and porcupine at bay but should deter mice and rabbits.

I had always wondered if having an animal deterrent would pay for itself.

Look at it this way Konrad, you get to find space for new plants. This is your chance to trim out what is dead or coppice the trunk to accept exciting new grafts. To cheer you up I'll disclose that SLN has gotten the rights to distribute the Black Ice Plum. And I think they do business in Canada!

I've been wanting to get my hands on that one for a few years now and now you have a reason to try it!

Here is a link that might be useful: St. Lawrence Nurseries

Thank you all!

>>Have you considered a deer fence? Yes, only the nursery and the veggie garden down the road but this tree is out in the nowhere. It grew good, over 10 years old from Mcfyden, ...I was supposed to be apricot but got a few times some little plums, kind of purple in color and very dry, in other words lousy!
I started grafting over several years back on the root sucker, had a nice crop of sprout sunshine plums last year. Unfortunately the rodent attacked this one too, one stem out of the two, so it can be saved, the rest I can still use to graft over.

I'll put some wires around to protect it,....as I have done with lots of others and has helped allot.
My dog is there sometimes and marking he's territory, I guess he can only do so much.

>>I hear porcupine is really good to eat... You're right....I also learned this from my wife, she is Chinese,
when she was young and had to work on the farm they had them under their living quarters, one day they ate one, first put mud over and baked in fire, the mud helped to keep the spines together, it was then just pealing off and eat the meat, taste like chicken.

Collin, thanks for the link,..some of the hardiness is not right by a long shot, ..

Green Gage is more of a zone 5, Black Ice shows the same, now I'm worried.

I wouldn't write it off completely as you have had success with Mount Royal Plum. It does not grow easily here. I would classify it as an accurate rating of zone 4a.

I mention this because Black Ice needs about the same zone as Mount Royal, zone 4a.

Mount Royal is a make work project in Regina but can be grown in a very select spot. If you have had success growing Mount Royal you should have no more trouble growing Black Ice Konrad.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Ice Plum

Boy that's some nasty chewing going on there.

Except for the horrible damage they've done Konrad, I'm glad to hear there's still porcupines around these days.

It's been a long time since I've smelled dead skunk or seen a dead porcupine on the roadside. I can't remember the last time I saw a meadowlark, and have only seen the occasional red winged black bird. When I was young, every time we travelled you'd see all of them on almost every trip. It's pretty sad.

Now I feel better Collin, especially after looking at this site from University of Minnesota, showing zone 3b.
Maybe on the next year's list?

Nutsaboutflowers..
Yes your'e right,.. one has to feel sorry for the wildlife, being pushed out of existence,... another sign that the world is overpopulated. I might never build a fence, who knows, for now my philosophy is, plant more and except some loss. I love to have the odd visitor around but,...please don't stay too long!

Here is a link that might be useful: Lydecker/BlackIce

Oh and before I forget, Lowe's is having their sale on espalier apples along with boysenberries. They had four kinds of grapes as well in stock. Quantities are like 5 so I wouldn't leave it to the weekend.

To go with your live and let live philosophy Konrad I'll recommended staying away from petting the porcupines. You don't want to encourage them and your hand will thank you for it. lol

Here is a link that might be useful: Stinkers the playful porcupine.

LOL..great video!

I'll definitely skip boysenberries,..zone 5 and up, some say marginal for zone 7,... or do I miss something?

My sense of adventure was tempted with the tayberries. After about 2 seconds my common sense kicked in and would not let go of my money. I think the same process works for boysenberries. lol

Checked the yard this morning before letting dogs out and there was a porker waddling across the yard . Sent him packing but I'm wondering . Would those white plastic tree coils prevent him from chewing the bark of my trees.? And also is there a problem keeping those on all year.Hope he doesn't return. Ran real fast ( for a porker ) into the ravine so maybe I spooked him for good.

I was working way out in the sticks in southeastern Manitoba this week. The bottom 2 feet of the outhouse door had been eaten clean off. I asked the old fellow I was doing the work for if they have a lot of porcupines around. Oh yes, he says, lots. I pointed out the outhouse. Oh yeah, he said, I think that was a badger. Lol. Thought that was funny.

Good thing you checked first the yard Beegood, otherwise you might have ended up with a large vet bill.
I think that tree coil would have helped from eating the bark at the stem, not sure if he could have climbed it?
Mine were mostly all eaten above the stem.

What kind of work that be in the sticks, northspruce?
Yeah..badger is another one being pushed to extinction or near.
Have seen one here about 15 years ago.

I made headstones Konrad. The area I was working in is very sandy, with beautiful pine forests. There probably are badgers around but I doubt they eat outhouses. ;)

Hmn..Interesting Northspruce!

Here a picture from the Sprout's Sunshine plum from last year, growing just next to the first picture, two suckers were grafted, now one stem is lost,..that's why I graft more,..need a bit of inusurance LOL

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Porky is still around!!
Might have to trap him and relocate before winter.

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They're like humans,...thinking that apples are better on the tree.

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Lots of Coyotes are eating apples, ..it was the first time seeing a Fox!

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That's cause the grapes were sour! Lol! Beautiful pictures! Cute porker and even cuter fox. :) My dogs love apples so I guess a fox would too, especially if he is hungry. Get em while you can! Or maybe he is looking for the poker?

Ginny

Haha, that porcupine is cute! I wouldn't want to try and pet him tho...

Great pictures, Konrad! It's too bad the porcupines are so destructive because, as Ginny and Don said, they're cute!

Love those pictures of the porker eating the apples. Makes him Almost likable. Guess its time to put up the tree guards. Souds like cool weather by Tues. Not too cool I hope.

Wow again awesome picks. He is kinda cute. The last pick of him looks like he got caught. Love the first one though looks like he is at a smorg. I wonder how far you would have to transport him that he won't find his way back.

Thank you all!
Good question CL. I would ask the county from where I get the trap.

Found a good shot of him.

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"You can't see me!". So cute! I'm such an animal lover, I'd probably raise chickens just to feed the foxes and coyotes. :=/

I know you can get live traps from the City of Edmonton in the warm months. Maybe tree guards are a better solution.

Love your pics, Konrad!

Ginny

First pics of the apricot: the scaped marks go sideways. Are you sure it's a porcupine?

Live trap baited with salted apples. I'm working on that now becuase Mr. P. ate 200 of my 3 foot austrian pine. Now I also ahve a gun to go hunting. P.pine on the barbie!