Return to the Iris Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Deer Problem
| | |
Posted by janes_garden central NJ, 7 (My Page) on Wed, Sep 2, 09 at 15:33
| I planted almost 200 iris rhizomes a little over a month ago and I can see the new leaves/stalks coming in, some of them quite tall. Well, between the new dog and the new fence this spring, I thought the deer were finally gone for good. Today, I went out and found three of my hostas and about four of my irises with the stalks chewed down to about an inch above the ground. I sprayed my homemade deer repellant (recipe below) on all of the stalks/leaves of my irises, carefully trying to avoid actually getting any on the rhizomes. I also have about 100 lilies and sprayed those stalks/leaves as well. I'm not worried about the lilies because the bulbs are below the ground and they weren't harmed by this recipe last year. However, do I have to worry about my homemade repellent hurting the iris rhizomes which are partially above the ground?
Deer Repellent Recipie: In a one-gallon bottle, two eggs, two cups of milk, two tablespoons garlic powder, two tablespoons black pepper, 12 oz. bottle hot sauce, 3-4 large squirts dishwashing liquid so mixture will stick to leaves.
Thanks. Jane |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Deer Problem
| | |
| The only thing I see in your mix that could be troublesome is the dishwashing liquid. It doesn't really make the spray stick to the leaves, but it works the same as soapy water on a greasy dish. If you have too much, it will remove the protective waxy coating on the leaves, allowing them to dry out and you will see a burned appearance within a day or two of applying. As long as your mixture has enough to spread the spray without causing burn, your mix will be harmless. The same would go for getting it on the rhizomes, and they are probably less susceptible to damage than the leaves. |
|
|
|
|
