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Monday - August 06, 2007

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Deer Resistant
Title: Protecting guavas from deer
Answered by: Joe Marcus

QUESTION:

I have large guavas that the deer love to tear up rubbing their new antlers. When do I need to re-cover the plants with anti-deer nets to be sure to get ahead of them? One night too late and they are destroyed.

ANSWER:

Deer begin to shed the "velvet" on their antlers in mid- to late-September or even early October in your area. The white-tail deer rut begins around October 1st and continues until around mid January. You should not have a problem if you begin protecting your susceptible plants in early September and continue protecting them through the duration of the rut.
 

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