The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: wayfarer on March 05, 2018, 10:31:33 am

Title: Deer and soft fruit plants
Post by: wayfarer on March 05, 2018, 10:31:33 am

I am creating a soft fruit area in our garden but we have a number of visiting roe and muntjac deer.  I know I will need to cage the black and redcurrants to keep the birds off them but in the past I haven't had to cage autumn raspberries, blackberries or tayberries.  Does anyone know whether the deer will graze the leaves as the birds haven't  been interested in the past.

Title: Re: Deer and soft fruit plants
Post by: macgro7 on March 05, 2018, 11:45:44 am

They definitely will. My goats love brambles (raspberry and blackberry) in fact this is the first thing they go for. Deer are a bit similar to goats in their browsing habits

Title: Re: Deer and soft fruit plants
Post by: Dans on March 05, 2018, 01:10:59 pm

I'd assume so too. My Castlemilks love the blackberry and raspberry leaves and in autumn we actually worried about one of our ram lambs as he went all purple around the mouth, soon realised he was the reason the wild blackberry harvest was low!

Dans

Title: Re: Deer and soft fruit plants
Post by: DavidandCollette on March 05, 2018, 02:10:13 pm

I planted 60 willow whips. The deer had those as well