Good Bye Lawn

[redoak]

I bought a single bottom plow today and started plowing up my lawn. It felt very liberating. I might move my hen run to the newly plowed area so they can enjoy all the bugs and loose dirt. Then in the spring I'll expand my garden and plant stuff that is deer proof that doesn't need to be fenced.

 

[keljonma]

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Great feeling, isn't it?! Just like a pioneer breaking sod in the frontier.....

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I'm sure they'll love that!

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So you keeping the chickens penned permanently then?

 

[Southernbelle]

You have my attention...

What can possibly be deer proof?

I want to plant a garden and I've procrastinated for the last 2 years because the deer eat every little shoot I plant. Our property is between 80 acres of undeveloped woodland and a 2 acre pond, so I have the Whitetail Freeway traipsing across the yard daily. What can I plant that they won't eat?

On a positive note, every fall DH manages to fill our freezer with venison. If only I liked venison...

 

[redoak]

So you keeping the chickens penned permanently then?

The hens have a 400 sqft run, and I let my roosters free range in our 1 acre fenced backyard.

What can possibly be deer proof?

I've never had any problems with birdhouse gourds, potatoes, horseradish, garlic, onions, and most herbs. Deer mostly leave my tomatoes alone, but they will eat the tips of the new growth. Some books and websites state deer leave summer and winter squash alone, but they eat the new growth and eat my squash/pumpkins, even if very green. I've heard of deer eating potatoe shoots but I've never seen so much as one nibble on mine. I also might try aspargus next year as a deer proof crop. I guess deer food pallets vary some by where you live.

I have 3 deer that my 5 acres is included in their homerange or about 200 acres, and a 4 pt buck I see about once a week. At dusk they often browse on my lawn and during the day they drink from my 2 ponds.​

 

[tiki244]

I plant bits of Irish spring on sticks everywhere and the deer leave it all alone.