Thursday, July 23, 2009

deer protection which is not perfect but does float

I wish my garden at the school did not look this way...





But this does keep the deer away and it also does what it is meant to do... keep insects pests away and in the fall--- some frost protection. Air, sun, and rain pass through the floating row covers and except for a failed attempt at growing radicchio, the deer have stayed on the other side. The onions and the leeks in the foreground have yet to be bothered by pest. Since I took this photo three more "tents" have appeared in this area.


plants that tend to vine, will find there way out and since I took this photo the tip of this cucumber plant has been nipped....





and then there are peppers. For several years no mammals had a taste for them, but apparently those tender leaves at the top of the plants are approved deer chow. Here is a look at the peppers under cover....


13 comments:

Sheila said...

At least you don't have rabbits like my school garden. They burrow under and crawl through anything!

Wayne Stratz said...

Sheila--- for some reason the rabbits have not cause great damage at this garden... afraid they would get stepped on by deer??? anyway, there numbers dropped when some red-tailed hawks set up residence close by.

Dana said...

it amazes me that the deer will make their home in such a small area, the forest in back of the school is not that big...

Wayne Stratz said...

Dana--- You are right so I think that it is the whole area between the school and the river that is their home base.

tina said...

Very innovative. But doesn't it block the sun too?

Wayne Stratz said...

a small percentage of sun is shaded out, but almost the entire garden is full sun all day so the plants get plenty of light

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

If that's what you gotta do, then that's what you gotta do!

At least you get all the home grown produce.

Rob

Lynn Lunger said...

Is it good for flea beetles as well? They decimate my eggplant leaves every year.

What is the heat build up under the covers? I imagine it gets a little hotter...good for tomatoes, peppers but not good for cooler weather crops?

Wayne Stratz said...

Rob-- exactly

Una-- thanks for visiting. I can tell you this, I covered my eggplants right away and when we uncovered them this week--- no pests of any kind on them and I have had flea beetle damage in the past. as for heat build up, yes there is some, but it is an open tunnel so air can flow through that way and it can pass through the mesh of the fabric. I do cover my lettuce with it in the springtime.

walk2write said...

I may be following your example next year and covering up. We don't have a deer problem, but oh those bugs. They do love to suck the life out of my plants, especially the tomatoes. I wonder if the row covers can present a problem with mold, though, especially in this humid climate.

Wayne Stratz said...

walk2write--- mold, the main problem I have had is with some powdery mildew on my squash plants. any other mold I had came when we got excessive rain and I don't blame that on the row covers. will speak on powdery mildew in my next post.

Short Horse Tales said...

Wow... you have a massive garden ... somewhat of a rarity for those of us living right in the middle of the city I'm afraid. Of deers & rabbits at your doorstep .... Such tales I'll never have the luxury of sharing as a first hand experience ... So it's nice to read about them from your blog :)

Wayne Stratz said...

hey Short Horse, nice to have a Filckr friend stop by. My home garden is much smaller and that is a good thing. as for deer... one brought a deer tick into my life... see my new post