Not Sheep, Sherlock

There's a great new show this season as part of "Masterpiece Theater" on PBS. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective, "Sherlock" places Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in present-day London. Even in modern times, the eccentric Sherlock can deduce multitudes of information from the smallest clues. It appears miraculous, but is a skill most people can learn. Gardeners regularly rely on deductive reasoning as part of normal activities.

Today I was forced to play the detective in my own backyard. Last week I noticed the tips of the raspberry canes were gone. Not shriveled from the cold weather, but sheared off. My first inclination was to think that birds were the culprits, pecking off the few berries that were forming. I wasn't planning to harvest the cold-damaged fruit, so wasn't very concerned by it. It was more of an anomoly that left me scratching my head.

A few days ago I noticed that the buds on the branch tips of the new cherry tree had been eaten off. Again, I briefly suspected birds, but also wondered if squirrels might be the pests. They'll eat tree buds for food, though that typically happens in winter. My biggest concern was for the tree. I have four-foot tall wire cages around them to keep the dogs and grandchildren away, but with the tree tips gone, future vertical growth will be hampered. The apple tree I planted this year showed similar damage too.

Yesterday I noticed a large section of bark was removed from an aspen tree within spitting distance of the fruit trees. The torn bark was a few feet off the ground and my first reaction was that a porcupine had moved through the area. I've seen porcupine damage before and from the window it showed the same traits. It isn't out of the question because one of our dogs was quilled in our back yard a number of years back.

Today I decided to take a closer look and try to deduce what happened. Students of deductive reasoning know that the simplest answer is usually the correct answer. My initial observations showed birds, squirrels, and a porcupine as the vandals. Upon further thought, it seems odd that three different species would suddenly attack my plants within the same period of days.

I originally discounted deer because we've never had a deer problem. They're in the area and we've seen them just down the road, but there has been no sign that they discovered the gardens. Flowers have always brightened the borders and the few remaining blooms are still evident; none are missing. Besides, our four dogs do a great job patrolling the property and keeping intruders away. Assuming a deer would brave the dogs, my thought is that the first food it would go for would be easy flowers.

Close examination of the injured aspen shows sections of bark ripped loose. The bark is torn with ragged edges. That's an important clue. Some animals chew bark and some animals rip bark. Beavers, squirrels, and porcupines are chewers, deer and bears are rippers. When bears rip off bark they usually leave claw marks; no claw marks evident on the aspen though there were some gouges. Deer will debark a tree to eat or from rubbing antlers in fall, leaving gouges from the antler tips.

Suddenly the clues are pointing strongly at a deer presence. Raspberry and tree tips are eaten and bark is torn or worn off. But what about the dogs and my presence in the gardens? Shouldn't deer still be scared away?

Enter the power of deduction and the "ah ha" moment. The weather has changed dramatically in recent weeks. Though the days are unseasonably warm, the nights are still cold. During the warm months we leave the dog door open and our four furry friends have free roam in and out during the days and nights. When the sun goes down on a frigid night, I close the dog door to keep warmth in. For the past few weeks, the dogs have been on a schedule of going out late in the evening and not going out again until morning. That's plenty of time for a marauding deer to do some damage.

With colder weather, food is becoming scarcer. Foraging deer look for tender food like young fruit trees. With few threats and ample opportunity, the smorgasbord in my back yard was waiting for a diner.

Like many problems in life, this is one I hoped would never happen to me. Many, if not most, of my gardener friends have a deer problem. It was a bit naive to think I could escape it. So now I have to think about deer deterrents and deer proofing and deer-resistant plants. Honestly, though I resisted it it's been in the back of my mind; when I planted a dozen lavender plants earlier this year I was pleased to see that they are deer resistant.

Not much will change in the near term. The deer are free to feed on the property through the winter. I'll try to protect the fruit trees from further damage and we have enough aspens that it's okay if we lose a few. Starting nest year I attack my gardening from a new angle. It will be done with deer in mind. I'll let you know how it transpires.

There's a great new show this season as part of "Masterpiece Theater" on PBS. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective, "Sherlock" places Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in present-day London. Even in modern times, the eccentric Sherlock can deduce multitudes of information from the smallest clues. It appears miraculous, but is a skill most people can learn. Gardeners regularly rely on deductive reasoning as part of normal activities.

Today I was forced to play the detective in my own backyard. Last week I noticed the tips of the raspberry canes were gone. Not shriveled from the cold weather, but sheared off. My first inclination was to think that birds were the culprits, pecking off the few berries that were forming. I wasn't planning to harvest the cold-damaged fruit, so wasn't very concerned by it. It was more of an anomoly that left me scratching my head.

A few days ago I noticed that the buds on the branch tips of the new cherry tree had been eaten off. Again, I briefly suspected birds, but also wondered if squirrels might be the pests. They'll eat tree buds for food, though that typically happens in winter. My biggest concern was for the tree. I have four-foot tall wire cages around them to keep the dogs and grandchildren away, but with the tree tips gone, future vertical growth will be hampered. The apple tree I planted this year showed similar damage too.

Yesterday I noticed a large section of bark was removed from an aspen tree within spitting distance of the fruit trees. The torn bark was a few feet off the ground and my first reaction was that a porcupine had moved through the area. I've seen porcupine damage before and from the window it showed the same traits. It isn't out of the question because one of our dogs was quilled in our back yard a number of years back.

Today I decided to take a closer look and try to deduce what happened. Students of deductive reasoning know that the simplest answer is usually the correct answer. My initial observations showed birds, squirrels, and a porcupine as the vandals. Upon further thought, it seems odd that three different species would suddenly attack my plants within the same period of days.

I originally discounted deer because we've never had a deer problem. They're in the area and we've seen them just down the road, but there has been no sign that they discovered the gardens. Flowers have always brightened the borders and the few remaining blooms are still evident; none are missing. Besides, our four dogs do a great job patrolling the property and keeping intruders away. Assuming a deer would brave the dogs, my thought is that the first food it would go for would be easy flowers.

Close examination of the injured aspen shows sections of bark ripped loose. The bark is torn with ragged edges. That's an important clue. Some animals chew bark and some animals rip bark. Beavers, squirrels, and porcupines are chewers, deer and bears are rippers. When bears rip off bark they usually leave claw marks; no claw marks evident on the aspen though there were some gouges. Deer will debark a tree to eat or from rubbing antlers in fall, leaving gouges from the antler tips.

Suddenly the clues are pointing strongly at a deer presence. Raspberry and tree tips are eaten and bark is torn or worn off. But what about the dogs and my presence in the gardens? Shouldn't deer still be scared away?

Enter the power of deduction and the "ah ha" moment. The weather has changed dramatically in recent weeks. Though the days are unseasonably warm, the nights are still cold. During the warm months we leave the dog door open and our four furry friends have free roam in and out during the days and nights. When the sun goes down on a frigid night, I close the dog door to keep warmth in. For the past few weeks, the dogs have been on a schedule of going out late in the evening and not going out again until morning. That's plenty of time for a marauding deer to do some damage.

With colder weather, food is becoming scarcer. Foraging deer look for tender food like young fruit trees. With few threats and ample opportunity, the smorgasbord in my back yard was waiting for a diner.

Like many problems in life, this is one I hoped would never happen to me. Many, if not most, of my gardener friends have a deer problem. It was a bit naive to think I could escape it. So now I have to think about deer deterrents and deer proofing and deer-resistant plants. Honestly, though I resisted it it's been in the back of my mind; when I planted a dozen lavender plants earlier this year I was pleased to see that they are deer resistant.

Not much will change in the near term. The deer are free to feed on the property through the winter. I'll try to protect the fruit trees from further damage and we have enough aspens that it's okay if we lose a few. Starting nest year I attack my gardening from a new angle. It will be done with deer in mind. I'll let you know how it transpires.