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Ozarks Gardening Daylilies

Daylilies and Deer

last year

last modified: 2 months ago

We've been fortunate so far in that my wife's Daylilies have not had any damage from Deer. We have several in the area and we see them pass through the yard but they haven't shown any interest in the Daylily bed. Over the years she's placed bars of Irish Spring soap around the border, used Milorganite and these seem to deter the Deer.

Last night, when taking our small dog out, I shined the light down towards the garden and saw 3 Deer in the bed, heads down as if grazing. We've had a hard freeze so there's nothing green to eat but it was still concerning. Off to the right of the bed were 6-8 more Deer. I walked out toward them, making a racket and they slowly faded into the woods.

It looks like our luck may be running out. I'm looking into electric fencing and for suggestions from other Daylily growers on how to deter Deer. Our bed is approximately 60' X 40' and has several hundred Daylilies. (My wife is into hybridizing.)

TIA

John

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Comments (5)

jkayd_il5
last year
We have deer just like that and had to put up an eight foot fence. It's the only thing that works.
jrb451 thanked jkayd_il5
jrb451
Original Author
last year
The only thing?! <sigh> I was hoping for something simpler. Thanks for the input.
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dbarron
last year
Venison is also delicious, especially in chili. Just saying...but I doubt you could keep up with the influx of new grazers even so.
peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
last year
last modified: last year
I am inundated with deer and they never eat the foliage but they are too busy eating Hosta and most other plants.

A couple of years ago the deer ate almost every Daylily bud.

I now spray the buds once a season with Bobbex and they have not touched them since. They have never eaten an open flower. I get the concentrate, add water and apply it with a sprayer but you can purchase it in premixed ready to spay bottles

There are other products that can be used such as Liquid Fence. They smell terrible for a day but it is not noticeable to us after that. I need to reapply every couple of weeks for all other plants. I would need a 12' fence here and that is not doable.
jrb451 thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
shive
last year
I'm surprised they were in the bed in winter. There may be a few sprigs of leaves left on evergreens that they are munching. Milorganite and the Irish Spring soap are a good deterrent during the growing season. I also spray Deer Fence on the border of my property. And I spray the daylilies starting in May with a Gain fabric softener and water mix. I also cut Bounce drying sheets into strips and tie those on at least one scape in each clump. In the past two years since I've been doing those things, I haven't had any deer predation.

Debra
jrb451 thanked shive

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