Ahhhhhhhhh !!! Throwing Elegans to the Wolves !!!

::faints::

The mere thought of sacrificing the most matronly of matrons threw my pulse up a bit. But if ever there was a hosta who would lay at the foot of the enemy for the greater good, it would be Elegans.

EDIT: Might I suggest you strategically reposition some of the 'green' and/or 'green and white' ones to tempt the organic lawnmower ?

Ludi

This post was edited by Ludisia on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 22:52

You might want to use some repellant early and often. If they get a taste of your salad bar, they'll be back.

Steve

Thanks Ludi and Steve - I love animals but I love my hostas at least as much. I guess I'd better start looking up recipes for repellents and make up a batch to deter my "organic lawnmower"!....

I swear by the soap on a stick method myself.

Irish spring original works the best.

Ludi

Ludi - what happens when it rains? Doesn't Irish Spring on a stick become foam on the ground?

Yeah, over time it will slowly melt away, but you don't have to put a whole bar on one stick.

When I saw it used in the gardens they were quarters. So they took the whole bar and cut it into four. Any deer repellent will require reapplication, but the soap has a nice scent to it that will sometimes waft in the breeze and it does not melt as fast as liquid fence or any sort of predator urine will wash away.

Either way, deer repellants need maintenance, but soap is inexpensive and lasts longer than sprays IMO. Plus you don't have that whitish film that stays on the leaves from sprays.

Different strokes for different folks. :) This is only one of many different successful methods.

Ludi

Go to Gardeners Supply website and check out their deer repellant. They are mesh sacks that you can hang in a tree or probably on a Shepard's Hook. They are about 5.00ea. but they stand up in the rain and are supposed to be good for a year. I only have a Deer wander thru' my trees where my shade garden is once in a while but they do like to dine on my Hosta, so this year I am going to try these. Check them out and see what you think.

According to the internet, person urine sprayed around the perimeter is suppose to work as a deer repellent. Seems to be an unlimited supply.Sounds terrible but I guess it works. Personally I think the Irish spring smells much nicer.. lol

Herds of deer around here 12-13 at a time. I think last year's mild winter caused a population explosion.

Deer, rabbits, 4 foot blizzards, hurricane force gusts, single digit temps...snowing right now (a few inches turning to rain). It has been a tough, tough winter here in the Northeast. Hopefully the deer and rabbit populations will be culled to reasonable levels.

Dogwood casualty, hanging on the power and cable lines.

Enough already!

Mixing a couple of eggs, some dishwashing soap, cooking oil, Cajun and or other peppers in a blender, filter through cheesecloth, place in a spray bottle, spray all leaves and repeat after rain. Deer don't like the sulfur / egg smell, they don't like pepper and the oil and soap helps it spread and stick.

Just thinking, maybe shaving off some Irish Spring as the soap might help as well. It just popped into my head; I have no idea if this will help or not but I am going to try it.

Jon

Hostanista-when it rains it cleans up the creek!
think 'green'
Theresa

I am told no one has ever seen deer along the fence across from the old Chicago Stadium after a Chicago Black Hawks hockey game. The we-pee must work.
Theresa

Ludisia, is right to hang soap up, will keep the hostas and the environment clean. One lady wrote here, she gives her husband a strong coffee to drink and then sends him out to mark the property. I use Liquid Fence spray at the road, also keeps rabbits and dogs out.

Just a thought (these things pop into my head like popcorn, lol) but since deer don't like the smell of Irish Spring, and they don't care for the noise wind chimes make, I think I might take an unused suet basket, fill it with Irish Spring, and hang some noisy chimes from it. I like it!

Sandy

Sandy mosswitch - that sounds BLOODY BRILLIANT!!

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Husband's not much of a coffee drinker but he does like beer. But fortunately he's too much of a gentleman to go around "marking" my planting beds. I guess I'll leave that to my dog.

Poor jonnyb - you've got it worse than me up here in Canada.....we're getting more snow today but your pics are far worse than anything I could post. Sigh!

Just to clarify, I meant for the soap to be quartered and then each of the quarters gets stuck on a separate stick (preferably oak for strength) and then that is tucked into the ground near the plants you don't want the deer eating. Like a lollipop stuck in the ground. Deer don't eat every plant in the garden, so you only need soap sticks for the plants you know they will eat.

Although hanging baskets and pouches of soap might also work I would think you would need more soap since you are putting the origin of the scent higher than the plant you are trying to prevent being eaten. Without enough in the basket you might not generate enough smell to deter. When the soap is at plant level the deer literally has to smack its nose off the smell when it puts its head down to nibble, and that is what deters it.

There was a post sometime after June 2012 on here where I commented on the soap on a stick method. I'll see if I can't find it.

Cheers !!!

Ludi

Mama and her next generation, 100' off my front porch, early summer.

Needless to say, we have a "love/hate" relationship.

Deb

Awwwww, Bambi!.........

And, when I read the original post, I immediately got Ludi in my mind about the Elegans. Had to chuckle.

Have to agree about the Irish Spring, it is a potent smell.

Net bags....why pay for those bags, when you can get your onions in them at the grocery store, and just reuse those. Come to think of it, I got a Gardener's Supply catalog in the mail today.

Speaking of the wind chimes. Up in MA, early in my trips north there were deer visiting the yard regularly. However, they sort of disappeared after a while. I always thought it had to do with the coyotes prowling the area, but maybe it was the wind chimes I hung in a few spots around the back yard. The wild turkeys disappeared about the same time. But not the skunk and not the groundhogs.

I just described in BK's thread my use of ground cayenne pepper, but to deter her puppydog Cleo.

No deer problems here. Somebody would have it on the grill hooves and all.

Last week driving between London and Sarnia Ontario just before dusk we spotted a herd of about 30 deer grazing quietly beside a rather busy highway. I have never before seen so many all at once. It occurs to me that perhaps a tall fence would be the only way to discourage them - or perhaps an entire case of soap! (Dogs, guns, ....)
Love to see them, far away from my yard. (They represent a significant road hazard in many areas as well. Guess I would rather my hostas than my car.)
Jan