I have recently noticed that mint that has invaded my raspberry bushes has kept deer from eating all the leaves of the latter.Melissa officinalis seems to be another option... Plants right next to these ones were stripped od young leaves and shoots and these had no mint or lemon balm amongst them... A solution at last? The Bell and Howell deer sonic scarer seems not to make any difference. Mark. 1924 route de la mer, 76119 Sainte Marguerite-sur-mer, France > Message du 03/07/12 04:35 > De : "Colleen" > A : "'Pacific Bulb Society'" > Copie à : > Objet : Re: [pbs] slightly off topic: deer repellants, and what's in bloom > > Hi Kathleen, > > When we lived in Oregon we used Zoo-Doo as a deer repellant. The extension > gave it to us along with tobacco pouches to put it in. I think it came from > the Portland Zoo. Now our dogs keep the deer away. > > Blooming: I have some day lilies, old type roses, hardy red climber rose, > and lilies are just starting. > > Colleen in NE Calif. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] > On Behalf Of Kathleen Sayce > Sent: Monday, July 02, 2012 3:12 PM > To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > Subject: [pbs] slightly off topic: deer repellants, and what's in bloom > > This year I have time to experiment with deer repelling substances. These > pretty goats routinely eat some of my lilies, all of my hybrid tulips, roses > and blueberry plants. They also eat any number of bulbs that are supposed to > be toxic to them, including Hyacinthoides, Eremurus, Ranunculus, etc., > though not enough of the first to slow it down at all. > > In a dry period last week, I hauled out the blender and created a brew of > egg, garlic and hot pepper sauce, sprayed it on the blueberries as a test of > one of the more palatable plants. Within hours, two deer came into the yard, > headed for the blueberry plants, took one nibble, and walked away while > making faces (grimacing, open-mouthed, panting, stretching out their > tongues, all very like what humans do when eating very hot food). This > training will take awhile, as I estimate there are 20 deer in the > neighborhood. As an initial test of concept, it does appear to work, and to > stand up to damp wet weather. How often it must be reapplied I don't know. > Until I can talk my spouse into a deer-resistant fence, this is going to be > my major line of defense. > > As for what is blooming: the first flowers on bulbs grown from > wild-collected Lilium columbianum seeds bloomed in June. Dozens of stems of > other species and varieties are in bud. Several stems are well above six > feet tall. One lone L. martagon stem is over five feet tall. One Tulipa > sylvestris seed pod is nearly ripe. I am looking forward to growing on this > species from seed. Pacific Coast iris are at the very end of flowering, with > dozens of pods ripening, which is quite a contrast to last year, when I had > ten or twelve pods total. > > Cheers, > > Kathleen > > Kathleen Sayce > PNW Coast, WHZ 8, dryish cool summers & mild wet winters > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/