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Companion planting to repel deer
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Posted by doublej WA (My Page) on Thu, Apr 24, 08 at 17:44
| I may have stumbled onto something. Last year was our first in our new house. In March, I bought 2 rose bushes and planted them. My new roses were the main course on our mule deer menu. I couldn't keep a bloom or a new shoot and finally just gave up. In October, my two rose bushes were no bigger than when I bought them due to deer grazing.
This year, I bought more roses and now have 11. I figured that the more I have, the better chance I would have in seeing good blooms before the deer got to them. I also discovered companion planting for pest control. I decided to plant garlic around my roses, to help with the aphids. I have 6-8 cloves planted in a circle around/underneath each bush, just inside of the drip line. They have sprouted and the shoots are now about 12" tall.
The deer have come through my yard many, many times and have not made any attempt to eat any rose bushes yet this spring (knocks on wood). I have seen them sniff the rose bushes and then turn and leave.
Is it possible that the garlic planted around the roses have repelled the deer? Will fresh growing garlic disrupt their sensitive noses? I know they don't like garlic based sprays but, I haven't seen anything about fresh, growing garlic doing this. Do you think I may have found something that might work against deer long term? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Companion planting to repel deer
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| That's so funny. I tried the exact same thing this year and, at least temporarily, it works. My guess is that eventually they will figure it out, as they always do. In fact, I'm thinking the rose may actually be endangering my other plants, as the deer find it so attractive they come for the rose and stay for everything else. But maybe in the meantime you'll get a few blooms, so enjoy them and don't worry about tomorrow! |
RE: Companion planting to repel deer
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| Depending on your conditions, capnip, sweet woodruff and thyme, deer do not like so if you need ground cover with sunshine or shade there are three companion plants. Garlic could work, don't know. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
RE: Companion planting to repel deer
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| This is the 3rd year for my Knock Out roses. The past two years, the deer ate any rose that peeped through the fence. I planted nepeta there last year and it's blooming along the fence for the first time. Until the deer get desperate for food, they seem to be staying away. I'm not ready to say it's due to the nepeta, but I do wonder about it. 
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Here is a link that might be useful: my gardening blog
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