Sunday, January 20, 2013

Hooved Minions of Satan!

Yesterday morning I was standing at my kitchen sink looking out the window when I noticed the Arborvitae trio (an unknown variety of Thuja occidentalis) planted as a back drop for my 'Arnold Promise' witch hazel was looking somewhat thin.  At first I thought the thinned out spots might be places on the plants that were not getting enough sun.  Certainly that could be the case.  After all they are planted behind a fairly good sized witch hazel and under a large oak tree-not the most ideal light conditions for evergreens.  But why am I just noticing it now?





But then I looked a little closer.




Curiosity got the better of me so I grabbed some shoes and a coat and headed outside.





Yikes!  What the H E double toothpicks is going on here?    Could that be @#$%& deer damage?  Unfortunately yes, it appears hungry deer have launched an attack on my garden.

Now I know all of you who battle deer on a regular basis are thinking something along the lines of, "Welcome to my world." or "I can feel for you but I can't reach you." and I don't blame you at all.  For the most part, I don't have a deer problem.  Usually I get a stray one here and there in the summer and they usually concentrate their efforts in the gardens along my driveway eliminating Hosta or nibbling on deciduous shrubs in the reclamation area.  Nothing a quick dash outside in your underwear yelling at the top of your lungs at five in the morning can't fix.  However, never have I seen a deer or had any damage from them at all in the winter.


Satan's minions leave a calling card.


Despite living in a heavily populated suburban location directly behind a commercial shopping plaza and less than a mile from our capitol city limits, I get quite a bit of wildlife at my house.   Most people are surprised when in addition to the usual stories of rabbits, possums, and raccoons I recount sightings of fox, deer, coyote and once a snapping turtle.


Deer browsing damage on some Thuja occidentalis in my reclamation area


Less than half a mile from my house is Hartford's famous Cedar Hill Cemetery, final resting place of many notable people including Kathryn Hepburn and J.P.  Morgan.  Cedar Hill encompasses 270 park like acres.  In addition to housing the remains of the dearly departed, Cedar Hill is also home to a herd of Satan's hooved minions.





Using my amateur tracking skills, I followed the hoof prints to the end of a row of Thuja plicata 'Green Giant'.  'Green Giant' is reportedly deer resistant and I couldn't find any evidence of browsing but maybe the deer had already set their sights on the T. occidentalis.  With any luck I won't have multiple incidences to compare and contrast.





Here's a closer shot of area behind my property to the northwest.  You can see the roof of the shopping plaza.  Directly above the roof line are headstones located in a smaller cemetery adjacent to Cedar Hill.  When I photograph my garden I'm usually very careful to shoot from angles that omit the plaza.  During the growing season it's not as obvious but in the winter it looms large.  Eventually I plan to do a "truth in gardening" blog post which will expose my surroundings and perhaps generate some new screening ideas.




So I guess I'd better get over to the local garden center and get a bottle of Plantskyd.  A few years ago (pre cat) I discovered it when I was looking for something to repel the herds of rabbits decimating my garden every night.  Initially I was using the granular form but the active ingredient is dried blood so although it repelled the rabbits, it attracted the dog who would then spend hours hoovering around the garden eating it.  Since dog browsing reduced the effectiveness, I switched to the liquid spray bottle.

To be honest, the liquid form is disgusting.  If you don't have dogs and are trying to repel small animals only, I recommend the granules.  Not only does the liquid emit an indescribable stench, it looks like blood.  After spraying it on your plants, you may feel compelled to assure guests to your garden that your nightly routine really doesn't involve beheading chickens and sacrificing sheep.  They may or may not believe you.

But it works, at least for the occasional deer infestations I deal with in my garden.  Please feel free to share your deer experience with me.  Do you have a problem?  If so how have you dealt with it?  What about my Arborvitae trio?  Will they recover or will I be sharpening my shovel and removing them come spring?

Sue~


18 comments:

  1. Oh nooooo!!!! dreadful. So sorry about that Sue

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  2. Oddly enough, dear have only been a scare here, not a problem. Probably too many hunters nearby. The dog may upset them too. Like you, I have the occasional sighting.

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    1. Based on my unscientific observations, the more rural the area the less problem with deer. Possibly because they have plenty of natural food to eat?

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  3. In northwest Bloomfield, right at the foot of Penwood Forest (think Heublein Tower area) deer are a major fact of life, and everything is on their menu, but most especially arborvitae. I agree with you about the liquid Plantskydd, eeeew.

    For the heavy browse we get, the only defense is constantly switching gears on them. Plantskydd for a while, then another deterrant, then electric stakes (battery operated) that zap them, then Irish spring soap, then pepper spray. Constantly confusing them is the goal, but they come anyway. A local coyote patrols for rabbits, and a bobcat hunts in our area for mice, and I think their presence helps keep the deer away at times.

    I love your description -- hooved minions of Satan! So sorry about the damage they did -- and arborvitae doesn't really regrow damaged branches very well.

    (we spent a lovely day last summer wandering around looking at beautiful trees at Cedar Hill. I probably saw your house. I may even have seen a woman in her underwear running down the driveway chasing a deer, but I'm not sure)

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    1. I can't take credit for the description. One of my on-line garden friends from Michigan used it many years ago when deer were raiding his garden. Thinking about it always makes me chuckle.

      You'll have to get up pretty early in the morning to see the underwear show. I only resort to it when hanging out the bathroom window waving my arms and yelling doesn't work.

      Deer are definitely the bane of many gardeners. I'll be making a visit to a local nursery at lunchtime today for some Plantskydd.

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  4. Hooved footprints and blood covered shrubbery = don't mess with Sue! Sorry about your Arborvitae but I bet they'll fill in just fine come summer.

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    1. Actually I'm not encouraged by what I'm being told about tne Thujas. But that didn't stop me from spending twenty five bucks today on some Plantskyd bottled putrefaction. Even if I can't save the Thujas maybe I can prevent damage to some other plant.

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  5. Laughed out loud at this one! Good luck! We have deer crossing the street in broad daylight here.

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    1. For gardeners, dealing with deer can be extremely discouraging. If I had an ongoing problem I'm not sure I'd have the fortitude to continue gardening as intensely as I do now.

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  6. I'm sorry you were invaded but I love how funny this post is. I have no deer experience but several friends do. One blogger has created 'deer spears' to keep her hordes at bay. She stuck long pointy branches/metal pieces into the ground at an angle around her plants to poke the deer when they came by. It actually worked!

    Deer cause tons of accidents around here since their only predator is a speeding minivan driven by a deranged soccer mom high on too many lattes. Perhaps if you park a minivan covered with Starbucks cups nearby they might change their minds. Good luck!

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    1. OOOhhh, deer spears-I like that! Danger Garden Loree wrote a funny blog post last summer about sticking chopsticks in her garden to discourage cats. I use the cat to discourage most everything but he apparently doesn't work on deer. Maybe I'll try the mini van trick-if I can find someone who drives one.

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  7. Snow and deer in Cedar Hill. I am feeling a loaned photo coming on.

    I hope that truth in photography thing doesn't catch on. It is rare that I am not choosing an angle to accentuate the positive and maybe hide the ugly.

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  8. Sorry Jack-with daytime highs struggling to hit 20 I don't have plans to be gallivanting around a cemetery anytime soon.

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  9. Sue, I wouldn't brag about any plant resisting deer. You know deer can't read. Maybe they just didn't get around to 'Green Giant'. Yet.

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    1. Oh they got around to them. When I finally got out there to spray one of small Arborvitaes was just about gone and they had started on the 'Green Giant' at the end of the row. I sprayed it just to be on the safe side.

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  10. I saw a deer today eating some ground cover outside my window at work. I was wondering if they had resorted to eating pine or tree greens yet. Amazing. The ground is not completely covered in snow around CT right now. I didn't know they ate Arborvitae. Sorry I don't have any advice for you. They've even been eating at the bird feeder in my yard. Good luck.

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  11. Sorry you are having issues with the hooved rodents. I have some issues but not extreme. Although, we do seem them almost daily. I use several kinds of deer repellent at the same time with the theory that if they aren't repelled by one they might be by the other. Good luck!

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