How to stop....... wildlife eating fruit trees

[phill....@bt.com]

Any ideas?

We planted lots of fruit tree's at pestalozzi and it would seem that the local Deer population have taken quite a shine to them. :-(

Any ideas, apart from a fence around the lot, or staying up all night on guard duty....

It's probably about 1/4 acre in total.

Thanks

Phill

[Jae Mather]

I have just finished reading Sepp Holzers Permaculture book and I can't recommend it enough! He says that to protect against browsing one needs to provide alternatives that the deer will be more interested in. Many plants like Jerusalem artichokes, various kinds of clover and buckwheat make good distraction plants. A variety of fruit bushes also work. Willow trees can also be planted in the area and especially in front of slopes. The deer much prefer to strip these than fruit trees, because they are softer and more elastic.

In addition he mentions a home made remedy which is painted on the trees or sprinkled over them. It is made out of bone salve (the instructions would be needed from his book see pg 114 and 167), linseed oil, slaked lime, fine quartz sand and fresh cow dung. The salve has an intense and long-lasting odour, which repels the deer as the smell gets into the bark and lasts for many years.

Good luck
Jae Mather
Director of Sustainability
Carbon Free Group
www.carbonfreegroup.com
+44 (0)797 422 4553

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Permaculture Diploma Guild" group.
To post to this group, send email to permaculture-...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to permaculture-diplom...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/permaculture-diploma-guild?hl=en.

[Nir Halfon]

Thanks Jae, the book sounds good and so do the solutions.

At my son's school the deer was causing trouble then one night they got tangled in the temporary, homebase, flimsy propagating house and never came back. The propagating house was never the same...Homebase has more than one use...
You can also try 'Silent Roar' it is woodchips soaked in lions dung. It helped to keep the neighbour's cat perhaps the deer as well. It is a temporary solution and will keep the deer while the trees are getting established.

I liked the distraction plan,

Nir

--
Nir Halfon

Biodynamic Agriculture Training
The Biodynamic Agricultural College
www.bdacollege.org.uk

[Phill]

Jae/Nir,
Thanks for some great ideas.

Willow we have plenty of so that would be a quick starter option.

I did think of the BD option Nir had in use at Emerson, but did not
have a handy Deer.
Love the Roar option. I don't happen to know anyone with a Lion, but
I'll ask around.

Looks like I'll have to get the book, as clearly Sepp has been through
all this.

We do have some fine mesh plastic stuff which we thought about
wrapping around the trees to make them less attractive, so we might
try that also.

Phill

[Nir Halfon]

Silent Roar is about £9 for a box- search for it in google.

I thought of the BD option. I think out gardener has some deer pepper is you want.

Nir

Phill

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Permaculture Diploma Guild" group.
To post to this group, send email to permaculture-...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to permaculture-diplom...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/permaculture-diploma-guild?hl=en.