Re: what's eating my mallow and comfrey and "smart weed"

In a message dated 6/14/02 7:24:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
cherylisaak@adelphia.net writes:

<< ok - what is eating my plants - up high, not low -my groundhog? Deer? 
 I was thinking of moving both to my hill, where they fit better, but 
 that is prime groundhog territory! >>

You can tell if it is deer by inspecting the ground for hoof prints.  They 
are clear and sharp and will show a trail through any cultivated soil that is 
easy to follow.

There are always hoof prints in reasonably moist soil.  In this season the 
dear browse.  That is they wander through your garden and eat something here, 
something there.  The plant is usually damaged by in June not destroyed, that 
comes later.  They like plants with large leaves and usually eat hydrangea, 
hosta, hollyhocks, etc.  They also trim the buds off all lilies and with the 
hems will stop and eat half a plant.  Since this time of the year, there is a 
lot ot eat, the garden is not decimated.  As fate will have it, the plant 
eaten will be the one you like best.

As the season goes on and the deer arrive with the fawns, groups of females 
and babies the damage is worse.  They do trravel in small groups, you seldom 
see a buck.

Woodchucks do not browse. The usually stay in one place, the are nervous 
animals aso watch all the time.   A woodchuck will graze on lawn clover for 
hours or he will get into a vegetable garden and eat in a circle destroying 
everything in his path.  The cannot graze the top off lilies, that would be 
deer.

Deer in the Northeast, if constant visitors to your garden can make you find 
another interest, they are that persistent and destructive.  An electric 
fence is the final answer after you have tried all the home remedies.  
Spraying plants with bitter or foul smelling products is a lot of work in a 
large garden and if it is not the very expensive sort will wash off in the 
first rain.  The ones that stick also discolor the plants.

Look for hoof prints, you will find them if it is deer. While eating some 
plants the sharp hoofs destroy many more by just standing on them.

If it is woodchucks that is a matter for a decision around the kitchen table. 
 In my house I am not the one who does it.

If you want to garden freely you nearly always have to replant the lilies and 
others in areas of the garden close to something that deters deer.  This a 
lot of planning and if moving plants a lot of work.  Or you can grow things 
deer mostly will not bother about.  In the Northeast that is a short list and 
there is nothing that is completely safe.  

Sometimes they will wander through by accident once or twice and you will be 
safe by doing nothing.  Other times your garden becomes a path used 
constantly and there will always be damage.

You can wake up in the am, go out and tour the garden and come in feeling 
mugged.

There has been lots of writing on deer on all plant lists.  It comes down to 
barrier methods.  You put up a fence and the deer raids stop and that is 
about how it works.

One more thing for the Northeast - Lyme disease. The more deer and other 
mammals wandering through your garden, the greater the exposure to Lyme 
disease.  Lyme disease grows in numbers of cases in Northeast yearly.  
Southern Massachusetts, all of Connecticut and eastern New York are the Lyme 
disease hot spots of the country.  Amongst gardeners there is a high rate of 
Lyme disease.   On a radio program recently I heard the new numbers and they 
are always higher.  Also said was that dogs are very susceptible and cats 
almost never.  With children active in the garden, I am sure you know the 
signs to watch for, you can get a poster now for your kitchen or bathroom 
with the skin signs.   

A deer fence keeps the area you use in the outdoor months free of deer and 
surprisingly most other mammals if you keep the lowest wire hot.  Woodchucks 
are a whole other message.
 
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4

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