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Super Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

Hi everyone . I've always wanted to grow climbing roses , but we have lots of deer . It's my understanding deer love roses . Is there a rose variety that deer avoid , or is there a method to protect the roses ? I was thinking of draping a netting over them , like gardeners use over blueberry bushes . I also read a few articles suggesting one tries growing roses " native "  to a region. The deer supposedly " ignore " native wild roses . The only " native roses " I'm familiar with , are beach roses .... ( think they're called " rosa rugosa ") .  Would appreciate any ideas . Thanks Smiley Happy

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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?


@blueskies wrote:

Hi everyone . I've always wanted to grow climbing roses , but we have lots of deer . It's my understanding deer love roses . Is there a rose variety that deer avoid , or is there a method to protect the roses ? I was thinking of draping a netting over them , like gardeners use over blueberry bushes . I also read a few articles suggesting one tries growing roses " native "  to a region. The deer supposedly " ignore " native wild roses . The only " native roses " I'm familiar with , are beach roses .... ( think they're called " rosa rugosa ") .  Would appreciate any ideas . Thanks Smiley Happy


Stopping deer is nearly impossible. If there's something they want, they'll find a way to it. They're big, strong animals and netting isn't terrible effective at stopping them. They'll paw at it, pull at it with their mouths, if they've got antlers they'll use the antlers to tear it away. Things like coyote urine are effective when fresh, but need to be refreshed and aren't all that pleasant for humans in the area. You might be fighting a losing battle.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

There are other rugosa roses that are also disease resistant and fragrant with decent rose hips such as a white one called 'Blanc Double de Coubert' and a bright pink called 'Dart's Dash'.

 

 

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

I have six hybrid tea rosebushes inside my fenced yard, and two small Terriers (a Scottie and a Cairn) and the deer, very plentiful here in the Coast Range of Oregon, never ever come near my roses.  They would have to jump over a four foot chain link fence and land on a paved patio, then ignore two terriers threatening them with mayhem and walk across the paved patio to the rosebushes, which are "fertilized" not only with a combination of chemical fertilizer, fungicide and insecticide, but also, to be blunt, dog poop.  I suspect that, as sweet as those roses smell, they probably don't taste very good, LOL!  My only concern is that my dogs are not immortal, and I am afraid, once they both pass, the deer will no longer respect the boundaries I have set.  At that point I guess I'll be spraying my roses with Irish Spring soapy water and hoping that works!

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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

I have about a dozen rose bushes and have never known deer to bother them.

 

Knockout brand are the easiest to grow.

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Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

Thanks , everyone . All good ideas which I'll try . If I can have one climbing rose , on a trellis against the house , I'll be happy Smiley Happy happy gardening ! 

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Posts: 17,654
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

@blueskies Look at Amadeus, Jasmine and Golden Gate. All are disease resistant, repeat bloomers and climbers. All are Kordes or German bred roses.

 

Golden Gate

 

 

Jasmina

 

 

 

Amadeus

 

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

[ Edited ]

@blueskies wrote:

Hi everyone . I've always wanted to grow climbing roses , but we have lots of deer . It's my understanding deer love roses . Is there a rose variety that deer avoid , or is there a method to protect the roses ? I was thinking of draping a netting over them , like gardeners use over blueberry bushes . I also read a few articles suggesting one tries growing roses " native "  to a region. The deer supposedly " ignore " native wild roses . The only " native roses " I'm familiar with , are beach roses .... ( think they're called " rosa rugosa ") .  Would appreciate any ideas . Thanks Smiley Happy


 

@blueskies  You would have to put a wire fence around the roses, or individual tall cages.  Our gate stopped working last Fall, and in they came and pruned every rose and shrub.

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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

[ Edited ]

@CamilleP wrote:

I have six hybrid tea rosebushes inside my fenced yard, and two small Terriers (a Scottie and a Cairn) and the deer, very plentiful here in the Coast Range of Oregon, never ever come near my roses.  They would have to jump over a four foot chain link fence and land on a paved patio, then ignore two terriers threatening them with mayhem and walk across the paved patio to the rosebushes, which are "fertilized" not only with a combination of chemical fertilizer, fungicide and insecticide, but also, to be blunt, dog poop.  I suspect that, as sweet as those roses smell, they probably don't taste very good, LOL!  My only concern is that my dogs are not immortal, and I am afraid, once they both pass, the deer will no longer respect the boundaries I have set.  At that point I guess I'll be spraying my roses with Irish Spring soapy water and hoping that works!


 

@CamilleP  It's your dogs which keep the deer away, not the fence.  Last Fall, my gate stopped working, so in came the deer.  One day, my ten pound terrier, kept the other one inside, escaped as I opened a door, and off she went after the deer.  All of a sudden, leaping deer appeared from everywhere as they were all over, leapt over the small gate onto stairs, and down to the driveway.

 

I was running around calling my pup's name, frantic as all I could think of was that if they didn't kick her to death, she would be lost.  I got to the front walk and there she was, crouched down staring at five huge deer and they staring back, it was a stand-off, lol, until she took off after them, chasing them down the long driveway and onto the road where they leapt into the creek.

 

I kept calling her name and looking, then saw her on her way back up the driveway so met her on the front walk, and had a few words to say to her, lol.

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Re: Hi ! Any advice for growing roses in an area with lots of deer ?

Probably quite true, although I suspect when the first one jumped in, slipped on the concrete and fell, that might deter the rest of them.  Also, with the garage on one side of the fence, a flatbed truck and the cistern house on the second, and a shrubbery hedge on the third, deer would have to jump in on one tiny open corner, so I don't know if any of them will try it or not.  I expect the Scottie, now 5, to live another 5-7 years, so I hope to not find out until that time. 

 

I am glad your girl didn't escape too far when she went after your deer invaders!  We live not too far from a very busy highway, and I think my heart would just plain stop if my guys got out and headed that way!  Of course, if they headed into the woods I'd have to worry about black bear and cougar, so we have an "airlock" system of doors and gates, and all the gates on the deck or patio are not just latched but locked with keys.  Can't be too careful with these fierce little hunters and huntresses, can we?