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Thu, Mar 17, 11 at 16:48
| During this beautiful weather we are having I went outside to investigate my roses and see how they held up over winter. I was quite surprised to find this damage! Can anyone tell me who / what ate these canes? Is it bunnies? Some nibbling was up quite high...
Also, What can I do to help my poor roses recoup? They have done this to a hedge of about 12 roses. Thanks! Tulipsmiles    
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by tree_oracle z6b MA (My Page) on Thu, Mar 17, 11 at 19:05
| It could be rabbits but it could also be deer. I have seen both eating my roses several times including the ones with an abundance of thorns. Eating those would be like eating broken glass but the thorns don't seem to be a deterrent. I never cease to be amazed at what deer can eat. |
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| I once had deer eat an heirloom rose who thorns were so long and densely packed as to be a shoo-in winner of the win the Morticia Aadams Horticulture Rose Trophy. I was amazed and still wonder over the logistics of even taking a singe bite of such a specimen! |
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| In my yard I am seeing similar damage as the rose by the front door emerges from its snow bank. Also emerging from the snow back are vole tunnels, so I know who has done my nibbling. If you see sort of mouse-sized trenches in your mulch, you may have voles also. (Though I suppose it is possible that mice followed the vole trenches.) The teeth marks visible on your rose canes look pretty small, so I would imagine not rabbits. If these were buried in snow at some point this winter, the higher chewing may just be because the critters burrowed up through the snow. I just prune below the chewing. Roses will regrow the canes pretty quickly. |
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