At War With the Deer

How sad!

What about planting Foxgloves and Paeonies, I believe they won't eat them.

So sad to see this. What is the spray you speak of?

What a shame gardennut! Would it be any good replacing the wood chips/bark you have down with some sort of pebbles or gravel? I was thinking they may not want to walk on it.

I know it seems silly to keep planting hosta when I know the deer love them, but they are one of my favorite plant groups. Usually if I spray them early enough and keep on spraying through September, I get to enjoy them for the whole season - I just didn't spray early enough this year. And I do have some Paeonies and Foxglove, Heron, and I love them both, but I am just too stubborn to give up on having hostas. And I have to spray regardless, or the deer would annihilate my entire yard by the time September got here - there really isn't much they won't eat. Drc - the spray I use is a deer repellant made w/ putrified egg solids and other smelly stuff, and it works for the most part (they still come in and pick occasionally, but don't do nearly as much damage). And Dylandog - I have thought of that, too - but they will actually use my dry creek bed (which is rock/gravel) as a pathway to get in to my mock orange and eat it, so I really doubt even that would help . . . I suppose this is what I get for moving to the country, but I refuse to give up!! :)

How about trying some sort of deterrent to keep them off your property? I know some people use concentrated coyote urine (in powder form) around the perimeter of their yards. I don't know whether that would attract coyotes, however!
For the most part, I try to buy deer-resistant plants, but I understand the temptation to buy hostas!

I've heard that human hair will deter them, from the hairdressers maybe.

I should get a keg of coyote urine and a garbage bag full of hair - mix, soak, strain, and apply!!! I think with my luck I would effectively deter myself and my family and not the deer :)

I wouldn't like to be the one who has to collect the coyote urine...:o)

Try Biocontrol Network - biconet.com, I think - see what they have to offer in the way of solutions for you. I know they sell deer repellents.

I have found that the deer around here avoid my hostas like the plague because I have sprayed them with slightly diluted mix of crushed Hobenaro peppers and water. Raccoons and Rabbits also avoid the pepper treated plants. :-)

I agree, Dylandog - no thank you very much to that chore!! haha . . . And thanks for the link Lauram - I will check it out!! Habaneros and water, huh N2? I will have to plant some next year. It probably smells better than the dried blood solids that are in the spray that I usually use . . . makes my yard smell like dead things . . . haha :)