Garden

[haddon9]

@bmorechick Same thing happened to our hostas!  Last year they were looking so lush, green & full and were such a pleasure to look at.  One day we came outside and every leaf except one was gone!  My husband had set up a camera in the back and he saw that the deer were having a feast!

So far this year they still look good and will check to see if anyone has made some suggestions here (I haven't read the replies yet) on what to do to keep them from eating our plants.

[PA Mom-mom]

@bmorechick  I've used Liquid Fence when I can stay on top of it. Now, I usually consider the hostas on the edge of the property to be sacrificial. But this year, the deer have come up to the patio and chomped on my phlox and Sunpatiens. ALL OF THEM.

Last year they ate one of my patio tomatoes.  So, I put those kiddie pinwheels (97 cents at Walmart) around the phlox and Sunpatiens that still had stems. They have not tried to eat them since I did that. I have too many hostas to put the pinwheels everywhere, but I need my phlox in my patio bed, and I love my Sunpatiens.

Also, my cousins have had great luck with suspending bars of Irish Spring around. I may try that next year. Good luck to you.

[bmorechick]

Thanks all for your suggestions.  Folks think deer are cute and harmless but they are so destructive and the last thing I want is for them to be in my yard.  But I know there's not much I can do about that.  

[missy mouse]

Use deer off. I buy the concentrate on Amazon. It doesn't wash off in the rain. It has a minty smell. I have over 300 hosta's. Yes a lot of shade. Deer haven't touched the. In 2 years. 

[seehorse]

It's a bunny eating mine, but it was only eating one plant. Weird.

I put down garlic or onion powder but of course this needs to be replenished if it rains.  Also trying sprigs of oregano (from my garden).  Will put down red pepper flakes also.i

I like the Irish Spring suggestion. Will try that!

[happilyretiredgirl]

I had beautiful hostas and the deer ate all of them in one evening....😩

[Icegoddess]

For those with a snail & slug problem.  I feel your pain.  I lost one of my prize hostas to them.  I don't like Sluggo as it clumps together when it rains.  Gross.  So, I found this spray.  It smells rather like cloves and I know it contains rosemary and clove oil.  Since we now have at least most of a week without rain, I just sprayed all my hostas with both this and some Liquid Fence. 

I'm about out of that and will get some more of it or one of the other 2 products I mentioned soon.

As far as the Plantskydd goes, I see my local feed & seed sells it.  However, it's 100% dried bovine blood, same thing as blood meal.  Blood meal is very high in nitrogen and I don't think hostas need a LOT of nitrogen, so need to be careful about using too much.  AND, it can attract other animals like dogs and probably coyotes.  

[RespectLife]

---

@PA Mom-mom wrote:

@bmorechick  I've used Liquid Fence when I can stay on top of it. Now, I usually consider the hostas on the edge of the property to be sacrificial. But this year, the deer have come up to the patio and chomped on my phlox and Sunpatiens. ALL OF THEM.

Last year they ate one of my patio tomatoes.  So, I put those kiddie pinwheels (97 cents at Walmart) around the phlox and Sunpatiens that still had stems. They have not tried to eat them since I did that. I have too many hostas to put the pinwheels everywhere, but I need my phlox in my patio bed, and I love my Sunpatiens.

Also, my cousins have had great luck with suspending bars of Irish Spring around. I may try that next year. Good luck to you.

---

@PA Mom-mom 

I just noticed one of my neighbors put up a kiddie pinwheel in their garden!

It looks cute besides.....great idea!

My garden and all plants are inside my fence.  The deer just go by to someone elses yard, but the bunnies get in.....

and those darn Slugs!  I wonder if a pinwheel would deter them!   LOL

I do have Irish Spring in my Wally cart ready to order.

[PA Mom-mom]

@RespectLife  You would need a teeny tiny pinwheel for the slugs! Hahaha! 

When we had an in-ground veggie garden, we put up an 8 inch battery operated electric fence around our wire fencing to keep out the bunnies and the groundhogs. Worked like a dream. Not cheap, but we grew all the veggies we needed for the summer (except corn).

[jannabelle1]

I bought a liquid spray called Liquid Fence on Amazon. Everything I've sprayed (hostas, begonias, etc) the deer have left alone. The product is for both deer and rabbits. Granted it needs to be resprayed after a rain, but it's not that big of a deal.