Deer Ate our Arborvitae...calling all landscaping enthusiasts!!

[HelloChum]

Hi,
I first posted this on the budget board and then discovered this flower and garden forum...any help appreciated...thanks...

This winter, deer ate a 300' row of arborvitae along oneside of our backyard property line...each tree was eaten down to the bare branches from the ground up to a height of about 5 feet...leaving the tops of the shrubs full. One day the shrubs were full...next day...not so full!!

We trimmed about 2' off the top of each shrub, hoping it would encourage the bottom of each shrub to "fill in". Will it work? Or, are these shrubs done for? We thought it might be worth a shot...short of digging up the row and replanting...certainly, it was the budget approach at this point. They had been such a nice privacy barrier, too!! Argggh!!! Anything else we might be able to do to encourage the shrubs to fill in?

Any similar experiences, advice, etc...greatly appreciated!!!
__________________

 

[dlfan1313]

They may spring back but it's not very likely and will take some time...years.
If there is any green left at all on the individual branches that would greatly increase your chances at getting some re-growth. Cedars don't have any laten buds like many other plants so they tend to take much longer to recover from this kind of damage.

 

[DebºoºS]

I'm so sorry to hear about your bushes. Sorry, I have nothing to add to the good advice from dlfan. Many homeowners here in NJ have lollipop looking arborvitae from the deer.

 

[HelloChum]

thanks for your replies...for now we've trimmed the tops and are keeping our fingers crossed...we'll see what happens in a year or so...thanks again!!

 

[Richcat]

:confused Well I just bought a new house and the back pool has Arborvitae's all the way around the area. I just today sprayed them with Liquid Fence and plan to cut the top's off as well. I then want to fertilize them and that is my Predicament, any ideas?????

 

[zumbergc]

we had a row the deer ate too. We had the row of Arborvitae when we moved in, looked great, next year. The first couple got munched. the next year the first 5, the last year they ate them all.

Every year the trees would come back. so by fall time the trees looked better. However by the next spring they looked like match sticks. we eventually took them down and replanted with some more deer resistant trees.

We tried deer off, and several other things, human hair. When there isn't food for the deer, they don't worry about eating food that tastes funny, or they wait until the rain washes off the stinky stuff, and then munch.

 

[DebºoºS]

Deer have followed the same feeding paths through our neighborhood for years. If you can figure out how to readjust their feeding pattern let me know.
I stopped using repellants. Motion sensor lights only go so far on the property and I think they just lit up the feeding area for them. Try sprinklers but they're on timers. I send Einstein out to chase them away only to have them return later. At least the dog gets excercise out of it;P

 

[LindaBabe]

I don't believe the bottoms will grow back, ever. I finally pruned off the remaining twigs on the bottom of mine, and have accepted that it will be a cedar on stilts.

If deer only eat them in the winter, then wrapping the trees up to 6 feet for the season will keep them from being eaten. If they're in the pool enclosure, then only what sticks through the fence is vulnerable, unless the gate is left open.