We are planting a garden for the first time. When I was a child I helped my grandfather plant and harvest a garden however the problem is that he was in town and there was no real problem with deer however I live in the country and we are covered up with deer. so I was wondering if any of you veteran gardeners had some pointers.
We are planting a garden for the first time. When I was a child I helped my grandfather plant and harvest a garden however the problem is that he was in town and there was no real problem with deer however I live in the country and we are covered up with deer. so I was wondering if any of you veteran gardeners had some pointers.
I agree with TheTroll. We live in the country and actually feed deer in our front yard. To keep them out of the garden I put up an electric fence. One low wire 6" from the ground and one high. I put down 12" wide strips of roofing tar paper under the fence to keep the grass from growing up and touching the wire, in effect grounding the system. I cut it from a 3' wide roll of tar paper. You can get everything at Lowes.
One of my biggest problems is squirrels get the tomatoes. Haven't figured out how to stop them yet.
I don't know about using hair, deer are getting used to humans. You could get barbershop sweepings.
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About 3 strands of electric fencing is the best way to keep them out. They will tear it down a few times until they realize it will bite them, but it is the best choice. Human hair will work also, but it is something you will have to put out on a regular basis. I'm sure the local barber shop can supply you with more than enough. Shaking out some red pepper will also help, as will black pepper.
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One hole groups are as easy as pulling the trigger, until you pull it the second time.
I've heard it said that large predator urine sprayed around the garden perimeter will discourage the deer,at least for awhile. I do know that when the circus comes to town, the big cat trainers make extra money selling lion and tiger pee to gardeners. Some gardeners swear by it.
Personally, I think the best way to keep deer out of the garden is a .30-30 and the will to use it - but unless you live a long way out in the boonies with no neighbors you are not going to get away with it.
As others have said, electric fence. If you are going to have a garden every year just invest in a good electric fence charger. If you arent sure just plant extra and try various other low cost methods. One I have heard that worked is either red pepper or paprika (cant remember)
If you run a fence use three wires. 2 hot one ground. Do a good job of killing out the grass or keeping it cut under the fence. Put one strand about knee high (if your concerned about rabbits or other varmints lower this to about 8" off the ground) put the other about waist high. Use the third wire for a ground, place it directly on the ground and take a wrap around each post as you go around it (dont insulate at all), drive you a good brass or copper ground rod wrap your ground wire around it a few times to make sure you get good contact. I use this setup and that ground wire helps abunch when it comes to coons and rabbits and it will give you a good ground around your perimeter regardless of the moisture conditions. Use lots of orange reflective flag tape on that top wire. It will help the deer see it better and will save you some repairing heartache. Regardless, with the deer, you will most likely have to rebuild sections of it a few times in the first few weeks, so dont get frustrated, its normal.
My uncle put up one around his garden and the first night a deer got zapped and tore right through it, the garden and out the other side. Pretty much demolished it, lol.
For the tree rats you need to find a good shade tree about 40 yards or so from the garden. Put you a comfortable chair under it, a sturdy table for a bench rest, a few cold beers and a straight shooting 22.
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Last edited by soonerborn; 02-25-2009 at 01:31 PM.
I bought some of that bright orange plastic fence that they put around construction sites. It's pretty light and does not need many posts. I strung a rope around and hung the fence off the rope. Seemed to work for deer. Don't think it would work for raccoons. Does work for rabbits.
granted this is a old thread that was given life, I'll respond.
fence in the garden with 5' fence. small chicken fence wire towards the bottom & concrete mesh for the upper half since the smaller holes are not needed, but if prices are better to use all chicken wire then use that.
its kinda like the orange safety fence, but with the wire it doesn't produce as much shade on the plants cuz wire is narrow, & not as ugly to see...well you barely see wired fenced gardens vs big plastic fences.
& I've seen plenty of people fence in their gardens with 5-6 foot fences (of course include a door fence LOL) the prices between the electric fence (& monthly costs) vs the 5-6' fence might equal the same or the less (less being the full fence option)
roofing tar paper used around your garden IS A VERY BAD idea! unless you like to give oil/tar nutrients to your produce & then consume those toxic fed produce.
you'd be better off using plastic or something else. I cant even believe some one would think tar paper would be a good idea to use around the garden....its almost like saying I'll pour used oil around the fence edge to kill the weeds/grass
& then let the water soak the chemicals into your produce
Have any of you tried this chicken moat? It could kill two birds with one stone. Sure to keep out deer and might work with smaller garden raiders. Plus the eggs wouldn't hurt either. I know some of my buddy's chickens, which are free ranging, do chase squirrels across his yard at times. They might be the "guarding" chickens though.
don't know about the deer, but hot peppers will keep rabbits out. once they get a hold of those, they won't come back. plant them near the edges of the garden
In all seriousness, gunshots can keep deer away from a location forever. Even fireworks. Deer in general know, that loud boom means death, stay away.
Most states give permits to gardeners and farmers to shoot deer, as many as they can, on land they own, out of season. The only stipulations being that you either leave the deer where they lie, bury, or burn them.
A deer corpse is probably the most surefire way to keep deer out.
OOOOO chicken moat! I'm gonna talk my grandpa into trying that!
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Last edited by BarryHalls; 02-21-2010 at 01:33 AM.
In all seriousness, gunshots can keep deer away from a location forever. Even fireworks. Deer in general know, that loud boom means death, stay away.!
I'm gonna have to disagree with this. cuz if that was true then deer would run away from all the locations in the country where people shoot their guns regularly & live only in locations where people dont shoot guns.
I shoot guns in the backyard & still see tracks walking through the yard!
plus theres a firearms range close by that is used but the owner says its closed for deer firearms season & they still fill tags..shooting deer in the range.
deer are just more selective as to when they move, they dont leave the area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BarryHalls
A deer corpse is probably the most surefire way to keep deer out.
again disagree, if this was true then you'd never see all those dead deer in the ditch in certain spots while the deer keep stacking up in the ditches.
or then you'd never see deer tracks right next to a dead deer or by a fresh gut pile.
but you do see this always, so a dead deer or gut pile will not scare away a deer, just invite other predators/animals to the location.
if you have the room why not plant a little food plot for the deer ? put up a electric fence around your garden that way theywon't go into it but set them up a spot to come eat too.
i got just about the same problem with birds/rabbits the birds eat my fruit off the trees and the rabbits eat my garden but it really doesn't bother me because atleast i know they get a good meal without havin to worry about being attacked.
You might try the red pepper trick, you can also use a pepper spray you can make yourself we use it to keep critters other than birds out of our feeders. Since birds don't have the taste buds to detect heat it don't affect them. Up until recently we never had a problem with deer, coons, or possum but these last couple of years with the drought and mild winters populations have exploded and now we have deer bedding in our yard at night.
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