Q&A Master Gardeners with the

I have a row of 4-5 year old lilacs with a fence around it to ward off deer. The plants are outgrowing the fenced area. At what point are they safe to leave unfenced and have the deer not devour them? When we attempted to open them a couple of years ago, the deer devoured the lower 3-4 feet. We don’t want that to happen againof expandingcourse.Dowejustkeep the fencing forever?

Ihaveplentifuldeerwhodon’tusually bother my mature lilacs, so you will notneedafenceforever. Thedeerwill eatyounggrowth,butoncetheplants mature the growth isn’t attractive to

from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Livingston County

them. It will be a gradual process. Maturesizeforalilacisabout12feet. I’m not sure about their current size. Have you tried a deterrent spray? The most effective sprays contain egg solids,Liquid Fence and Deer Out are two examples. These products will probably reduce the damage,but not prevent all damage. Usually, deer will cause the most damage just as leaves emerge, so spraying the bare branches should reduce damage.

We are building a 3ft high berm of dirt in front of some black walnut trees to act as a barrier and shield.The area in front of the black walnut trees is sunny most of the day. We plan on planting either forsythia or lilacbushesonthetopof theberm since they are fast growing and can grow to a height of 8ft. Any suggestion on what else might work as a good 8-12ft barrier. We are also looking for a fast-growing ground cover to plant on the sides of the berm so we don’t have to weed it. Any suggestions for the ground cover? Thanks!

“Landscaping and Gardening Around Walnuts and Other Juglone Producing Plants” CCE article gives a list of plants that tolerate juglone: https://extension.psu. edu/landscaping-and-gardeningaround-walnuts-and-other-juglone-

To Your Good Health

By Keith Roach, M.D.