[gardeners] Fwd: Re: The deer are back

Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 16 Mar 2001 07:36:04 -0700 

I know many of you have trouble with deer depradations in your yard. Diana 
Politika posted her recipe on the pacific nw list for deer repellant, and I 
think this one may work because deer hate the strong smell of herbs.  I 
have her permission to forward this recipe. If you ever find yourselves in 
her part of Washington, tell her how it's worked for you.  Margaret L



>Here's my recipe, which I have used for three years now.  It truely works.
>It is an old recipe that I have added a single ingredient to.  It's that
>ingredient, I believe, that makes it work so well.
>
>The principle is that deer don't eat herb gardens.
>We're gonna make your whole garden smell like an herb garden (to a deer).
>
>Into a 1 gallon tank sprayer put:
>1 cup sour milk, yougurt, sour cream or buttermilk
>2 eggs, beaten & strained ( if you omit the straining, you'll plug up your
>sprayer )
>5 drops liquid dish soap
>5 drops cooking oil or dormant oil
>20 drops ESSENTIAL OIL OF CLOVES
>Top the sprayer off with water.
>Lightly MIST the plants, just to moisten, not to run-off.
>Apply when the leaves are dry and no rain is expected for the day.
>
>I don't know what the milk does, but it's part of an old recipe.
>The eggs weld the concoction to the leaf surface.
>The soap prevents the water from beading on the leaf surface.
>The oil spreads the mix over the surface evenly.
>The clove oil ( 'ESSENTIAL' is important as it is concentrated.  Get it at
>health food stores for about $4 a bottle ) makes the garden smell 'herb-y'.
>
>I spray the entire nursery, including our Demo Garden and my fruit trees,
>with 2.5 gallons and I can do it in under 30 minutes.  The spray lasts 4-6
>weeks.  The only time that even mild damage is done is in late October or so
>when they are desperatly trying to fatten up for winter.  It is imperative
>that you spray every 2-3 weeks for about a month.
>
>Far less expensive that the bottled stuff.  And it smells better.
>
>Diana Politika
>The Greenhouse Nursery
>Port Angeles, WA
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jacque Guffey" <jacquesew@home.com>
>To: "Maritime Pacific Northwest Gardeners" <pacnwgardn@u.washington.edu>
>Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 4:28 PM
>Subject: The deer are back
>
>
> > I just went out and did a walk around the yard for a close up look at
>things
> > and noted that the deer have been sampling my tulips already.  I got out
>the
> > remnants of Repellex and did a quick spray on everything that is starting
>to
> > show signs of growth.  I need to order a new jug of the awful stuff but
> > wondered if anyone could provide their input on other repellents.   I'm
> > gonna need something for my veggie garden too since I still don't have it
> > fenced...and Repellex won't work for that.
> >
> > I was thrilled to see the amount of buds on my Santa Rosa Plum and
> > Thundercloud Plum.  They must be very happy where they are.  Lots of stuff
> > is waking up out there.  Wish I didn't have to go to that darn work so I
> > could play outside every day.
> >
> >