Deer & Onions?

countrynaturals 3/10/2019, 1:18 pm

I'm really gung-ho for starting an onion garden, but I have a serious deer problem. Since they don't like daffodils or iris, I decided to look up how they feel about onions. From what I've read, they don't like anything smelly or bulby, so I want to go for it, but I'd hate to do all that work and find out my research is faulty. Anybody here have any experience with deer eating or damaging their onion plants?

OhioGardener 3/10/2019, 1:32 pm

CN, we have a lot of problems with Deer, but one thing they will not touch is anything of the Allium family - they never touch our onions or garlic, and we have Globe Alliums and Mediterranean Bell Alliums planted throughout the yard which they never bother.

countrynaturals 3/10/2019, 1:53 pm

OhioGardener wrote:CN, we have a lot of problems with Deer, but one thing they will not touch is anything of the Allium family - they never touch our onions or garlic, and we have Globe Alliums and Mediterranean Bell Alliums planted throughout the yard which they never bother.

YEE-HAH! You are a fountain of good news, OG. My next project will be a sweet onion garden. I already have the perfect setup for it, which also solves another problem. I'll post the details in Butterfly Junction and dedicate the whole thing to you. I love you

OhioGardener 3/10/2019, 4:04 pm

countrynaturals wrote:YEE-HAH! You are a fountain of good news, OG. My next project will be a sweet onion garden. I already have the perfect setup for it, which also solves another problem. I'll post the details in Butterfly Junction and dedicate the whole thing to you.

I have a lot of various Alliums in my Monarch Waystation, along with some Common Rue, just because they deter the deer and rabbits. Smile

countrynaturals 3/10/2019, 10:06 pm

OhioGardener wrote:
I have a lot of various Alliums in my Monarch Waystation, along with some Common Rue, just because they deter the deer and rabbits.

I'd love to see a pic of your Monarch Waystation. The fire decimated ours, so I'm starting over. My real concern is the Dutchman's Pipe for the Pipevine Swallowtails. The milkweed should be easy to replace. I grew it from seed the first time without any problems and the Monarchs don't come back here until late June or early July, if we get any at all this year -- already holding my breath. Shocked

I just re-read this and I have to clarify. Nothing of ours burned in the fire, but everything went almost 2 weeks without water, then several more weeks with no sun as the fires around us ruined our air quality.

littlejo 3/11/2019, 9:15 am

Deer do not eat Daffidols,Jonquils, other bulbs, onion family, garlic,etc.
But, someone down here forgot to tell the deer.
I've tried everything, but the deer didn't get the memo.
The even ate the tops off my Daffidils. They left the bulbs in the ground. Azaleas, magnolias, bird feeders, were no match.
I have loved my deer and my birds, but, I think that I will pay for hunting lic. for anyone who gets a deer on my property next yr. I have some smart deer. They keep coming back where there are no bullets.
I don't mean to complain, just want to warn folks about these SC Deer.

Jo

countrynaturals 3/11/2019, 9:43 am

littlejo wrote:Deer do not eat Daffidols,Jonquils, other bulbs, onion family, garlic,etc.
But, someone down here forgot to tell the deer.
I've tried everything, but the deer didn't get the memo.
The even ate the tops off my Daffidils. They left the bulbs in the ground. Azaleas, magnolias, bird feeders, were no match.
I have loved my deer and my birds, but, I think that I will pay for hunting lic. for anyone who gets a deer on my property next yr. I have some smart deer. They keep coming back where there are no bullets.
I don't mean to complain, just want to warn folks about these SC Deer.

Jo

YIKES! I was afraid of that. Since our deer won't touch daffodils or iris, I'm hoping they'll leave Hubby's onions alone, too. Fingers crossed.

**donnainzone5** 3/11/2019, 12:40 pm

My cousin, who lives near Oregon City, doesn't plant tulips because deer DO eat the bulbs. Perhaps there's a strain of gourmet deer nearby....

OhioGardener 3/11/2019, 1:48 pm

The only thing we have ever had to bother the bulbs is gophers and chipmunks. The deer don't bother the tops when they are growing, either.

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Forgot to tell the Deer!

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