Somebody is eating my garden!!!!

**Kimberlina** · 07-14-2005, 11:17 AM

And I think it is a deer. We never, ever had deer in our yard before. Now, all of a sudden, DH saw some in the back yard a few months ago. It's as if they knew I had a tasty garden planted, but of course, it wasn't even sprouted yet at that point.

This morning, I went out to check on my garden, and a bunch of whole leaves are missing from my bush bean plants. The whole stem is there, but they have been topped off. Luckily, I think there are still enough leaves for them to survive. Then I noticed, much to my dismay, that the leaves on top of one of my pea plants were slightly wilted. Upon further inspection, I saw that the plant had actually been broken off near the bottom. (Which I might think was cutworms, were it not for the fact that the TOPS of the beans were missing.) I couldn't tell at first because they are trellised and were standing upright. I took all the developing peas off, sad because they weren't really ready yet, and never would be.

So, I guess later today I will have to get out there and wrap a chicken-wire fence around that box. They are leaving the other boxes alone so far- mostly onion and tomatoes, so I might be okay. I wonder how much chicken wire I have.... This is certainly going to make tending the garden a much bigger hassle!

Darn deer!

**dolphin** · 07-14-2005, 11:27 AM

Awe sorry to hear your garden is being ravaged. I know it's so much hard work and it really is sad when you lose plants. We have rabbits or something eating our tomatoe plants. I'm surprised because they left them alone last year.

**Mom23boys** · 07-14-2005, 11:31 AM

Oh no! I hope the chicken wire solves the problem and keeps the animals away.

**britbunny** · 07-14-2005, 12:11 PM

I have a rabbit that eats my plants but I just chase her back into the house and things are ok! LOL

hope your plants survive though and the chicken wire does its job.

**Katybird** · 07-14-2005, 01:14 PM

I am sorry to hear that the deer are munching on your veggies. They are such a pain during gardening season.

**Missy** · 07-14-2005, 02:29 PM

I wonder if taking hair from the hairbrush and spreading it out in the garden mihgt put enough people scent around the area to keep them away, otherwise might sprinkinlg he plants with cayenne after watering keep them from nibbling? Might get some cheap at a dollar store, might make a solution with water and cayenne and use in a spray bottle?

**Missy** · 07-14-2005, 02:33 PM

yeesh, most of those "might"s should be "maybe"s

**Kimberlina** · 07-14-2005, 03:13 PM

Missy

you did post about insomnia, didn't you?

BTW, how's that boy?

I can actually just cut DH's hair tonight and try that. I thought I might do it, but I want some damage control I know is going to work right away, too, at least for now.

I hadn't hought about using cayenne, although now that you mention it, I have read about things like that before. I'm not sure, though, after my"insecticide" disaster. I guess cayenne and water probably couldn't do much damage. I will just try it on one or two plants, though, at first.

Still grrrrrrrrr....

**forestdale** · 07-14-2005, 03:35 PM

Crikey! deer!!! I've never had a deer problem. I hope you can solve it. I'd do what Missy suggested - work out what the deer hates the taste of, make it into a spray and spray it on every late afternoon, I presume it's visiting overnight. There are plenty of recipes for chili, pepper (black), garlic sprays on the web. Good luck, Kimber.

**QuilterMom** · 07-14-2005, 04:17 PM

http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/deer.htm

**jlxian** · 07-15-2005, 02:15 PM

I think deer are munching on our garden too --- SOMETHING is eating the okra plants as well as the sweet potato plants. I can't imagine anything thinking an okra plant to be tasty --- too spiny! But very clearly something has munched off whole leaves down to the stem. The same on the sweet potatoes.

I may have to put up a scarecrow or more fence or both.