Better to eliminate them before they multiply!

I have problems with deer in my yard so I spray the perimeter with liquid deer fence. They have already eaten some of my hosta and heuchera. GRRR.

They also devour my sedums and would love lilies for all meals. I detest them.

Ooh - thats scary - I didn't know they like lilies. I have had amazingly little deer damage over the years. I don't have a fence, and my yard has woods on two sides, so deer do wander through, and occasionally munch a hosta early in the year.

I have been adding lots of lilies the past two years, and they haven't touched them yet, but maybe the word just hasn't gotten out.

A fence is near the top of my wish list.

Normally they eat them down to an inch, and what they don't get the rabbits do. This year they've been untouched, except for two but that's more like the rabbits than the ever hungry deer. I've never understood how they can avoid dahlias here but always ate a friend's dahlias just a mile away.

Have guys ever noticed the cycle with rabbits. I read that they cycle and are scarce every 7 years, as the foxes and other predators that eat them go up. Some of the dahlias are going to ABG, some to my MIL (who is only 1 year older than I am lol). She has taken a serious interest in gardening though very new at it. But she is doing quite well and I would like to give her some of my overflow.

Almost every annual I bought from two nurseries and potted up have died. No idea why. But then all my herbs that I planted with them have also died. I don't understand. The soil is new and healthy but I did mix bone meal in the pots so I wonder if that is what caused it. And I did expose them to some light but they didn't droop then but it occurred over the next days. Have to put new flowers in them before setting them out.

All dahlias are getting planted out today. The last batch is in the covered raised beds. According to my outdoor thermometer it was 90 the day before and 81 yesterday. Then in the low 40's at night. I realize this could change but judging by how much I have to water, especially the small annuals, I don't want to leave these above ground when I go to Fairbanks. I can't expect Laura to come every evening to water for a week. And that is what it would take. The back deck gets early morning sun til 10 or so then half goes into shade but all dahlias are on the sunny part. I have scattered the other plants in shady nooks around the yard so they get indirect sun.

Now I can being cleaning the garage. Groan. What a disaster.

I'll plant my dahlias over the next week. Chances of rain over the next few days though and it's been a bit cooler than normal, hopefully back up to norms later in the week. Working next Sunday through Friday 12 hour shifts then leaving for slow drive out to APS convention the following Monday so I have to get them in the ground!

We've had everything thrown at us this morning. Rain turned to sleet with large flakes of snow mixed in. It's only 40 degrees with the sun now shining brightly. Only in Ohio! I hadn't considered planting my dahlias until the first of June. And with weather like this I can't even consider planting earlier even though many plants are getting leggier every day. Hopefully, I can get them outside in the sun a few days this coming week.

My attempts using Liquid Fence, Deer Stop or any other deterrents have been futile. Nothing works for more than three days. Once they get used to any odor, I have to find something different. My only solution has been to give up trying to grow anything the darn deer will eat. Thankfully, we don't have any groundhogs and have very few rabbits.

even Planskyyd doesn't work? Don't know how anything could get used to that horrible smell

I've never tried that one. A guy who did some tree trimming for me a few years ago said he had limited success with it and once they got used to the smell they devoured his vegetable garden. I don't know if anything will stop a hungry deer. The females will be giving birth to the "new crop" later this month. So there's that to look forward to!

Fishing line strung between posts has worked for me so far, 2 strands--1 at knee height and a 2nd at chest height. They hit it and run. Works even better if you can get a noise maker like a bell or something attached. I have a few of the shepherd's hooks on ground stakes that I've hung cheap wind chimes from that are strung in with the fishing line. Haven't surrounded all of my beds with it this year but the deer avoid the two that are wrapped. Works so much better than a fence that they can see.

It must be the shock when they hit it. They just panic and run. Sounds like a good idea. Wouldn't work on our moose and nothing frightens them - or seems to. They just lumber on over whatever or whomever is in front of them.

OK just so I don't have to read the whole post . . . aren't Dahlias deer resistant? I just need to know if I need to move them into one of my fenced areas. I like them where they are . . . near the front door, but I'll move them if they are going to get eaten.
This is my first year with Dahlias.
Dee

So how often do you get deer on your front porch?

Deer will eat dahlias - however, from what I understand they are not that adventurous in their eating habits, and if they haven't had mom show them that it's tasty, then most won't try something new unless they are really really hungry. I know lots of people who have had deer damage to other plants, but the deer left the dahlias alone, and I know others, that have had their dahlias chomped.

They only critter I have had problems with in the dahlias was a groundhog.

You'd be amazed at how close they get. They walse right through the front yard . . . they really like the lemon tree and it's about 8 feet from the front door.
I'll put some fencing around them, they get such better care being near the door and the hose.
It can be quite exciting opening the front door and startling a deer.

I've had them on my front porch before.

We have moose, full grown and babies also, walk up our walk, onto the deck (low and no railing) and over to our neighbor's apple tree to eat fruit left on tree from prior year. Damien opened the front door one time and was eye ball to eye ball with a one year old. As he stepped back, the baby stepped forward and would have continued into the house had he not slammed the door. On second thought, other than blood on my carpet that would have made great eating. Moose veal.

The deer walk right by my dahlias without touching them but destroy other plants in my yard. Too bad I can't put them in my freezer. Veal indeed! But they come at night and neighbors are too close.