Dear Farm,
What kind of plants do you recommend that the deer won’t eat?

Sincerely,
A Slew of Sad PA Gardeners

Dear Sad Gardeners of Pennsylvania,

Perhaps the biggest threat of devastation to ornamental gardens we face are those hungry deer. Unfortunately, they are also the hardest to control. A hungry deer will eat almost anything, including plants considered deer resistant. But with a combination of proper preparation and the right plants, they may decide to spare you…for now.

An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Vegetation

If you have a lot of deer around, the best thing to do is start by blocking their path. Deer are creatures of habit and follow the same path. Create a detour route before they find out about the delicious buffet you are planning on growing. The only 100% deterrent is a fence. There are several very nice deer fences on the market that are very thin so they don’t obstruct your view of the woods. Of course, fencing is also very expensive. Instead of your whole yard, you could try placing fencing only wide enough to block off the known path of the deer. Don’t know the path the deer take? Winter is a great time to spot it-look for the deer prints in the snow. Install the fence as soon as the ground thaws enough to put the poles in.

A less expensive fencing option is to use either poles or trees to string up fishing line. It’s invisible, and when the deer walk into it, it freaks them out so they’ll eventually move elsewhere. They may break some of it, but you can easily add more fishing line. The cons to this method are that people can also get tangled and it could become a hazard when mowing.

Pick Your Poision-(Organic Poison, of Course)

There are a mind boggling amount of deterrent products out there, from coyote urine to blood to garlic. Linda Mesavage lives in the PA Mountains. She’s tried many products over the years and claims they all worked effectively when used as directed, but most require a lot of time and effort, needing to be re-applied after every rain storm. This can also become cost prohibitive-a 16 oz. squirt bottle of coyote urine costs about $26. If you have a large garden and need to spray after every rain storm, you’ll be pissing your money away, so to speak. Organic landscaper Seth McGehee says he’s had the best luck with a product called Liquid Fence. It sticks around even after a rain storm, making less work-and possibly less expense-for you.

Perhaps the most interesting product I came across in my research is a magic pill. It’s called Repellex Systemic Tablet. The tablets are buried in the roots of the plants you want to protect. The plant absorbs the ingredients and tastes bitter for 1-2 years! Is all this too good to be true? Perhaps. I looked long and hard and wasn’t able to find out what the tablets are made of, so I really don’t know what the organic standing is on it. I then came across a statement that Repellex is no longer for sale in the US, “due to new EPA regulations.” Yikes! Maybe a safer systemic solution (say that three times fast!) will be discovered sometime soon.

Planting the Not-So Palatable

If you live in deer city, there may be some plants you just won’t be able to grow no matter what, But there are many options that are far down the list of preferred food sources for deer. Here is a list of the deer resistant plants we offer for sale at the farm:

Annuals:

Ageratum
Kilimanjaro Euphorbia
Heliotrope
Larkspur
Strawflower
Sweet Alyssum
Snap Dragon
Statice

Perennials:

Silver Tansy
Dame’s Rocket
Rue
Yarrow

Herbs:

Rosemary
Lavender
Thyme
Sage
Hyssop
Horehound
Chives
Artemisia

Wondering about a certain plant? Rutgers University has an extensive list of plants, including a search box. Click Here for the link.

If you have a question for the farm, please email it to wegrowveggies@msn.com with “Ask The Farm” in the subject line.

I must admit, I’ve never liked radishes much. I don’t think I’m alone. On veggie dip trays, they always seem to be the last item standing, the little red and white rings looking dull and rubbery after a day of abandonment. They are often discreetly pushed aside on the salad plate, along with the massive wedges of grocery store tomatoes. (Why do so many restaurants serve such massive hunks of yucky tomatoes, anyway?)

Much like the difference between meaty slices of heirloom garden tomatoes and the pathetic version mentioned, there is also a huge difference between just-picked brightly colored radishes bunched with their greens and the topless, dull, bagged-in-plastic grocery store kind. Let’s explore some fun facts you can share and then try them in new and exciting ways!

Fun Facts:

• Radishes were grown by every ancient civilization you can think of-the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese. Even Confucius had something to say about them.
• Radishes were very large until the 1500s, when they were miniaturized into the little globes we have now.
• In the past, radishes were used as deodorant (!) and to heal many skin problems
• Radishes are part of the Brassica family along with its cousins cabbage, broccoli, kale, turnip and many more. Brassicas all contain important cancer fighting ingredients.
• In Mexico, December 23rd is known as Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes). There is a festival in Oaxaca where artists compete for cash by carving elaborate sculptures out of radishes (and you thought that radish tulips were impressive!)

These people love radishes. Wait a minute-these people are radishes! Click Here to see more fun radish photos.

Radish Recipes:

Have your radishes gone soft while waiting for the perfect dish? You can revive them by soaking them in ice water.

Mariquita Farm has a huge selection of radish recipes, from the root (technically the swollen stem bottom) to the tops! Click here to see it.

Here is a beautiful looking salad twist using two seasonal ingredients (radishes and spring onions) brought to you by the Ontario Liquor Control Board’s Food and Drink Magazine, by way of the diet, dessert, and dogs blog (thank you for holding on to this recipe for 4 years!) This one looks so good, even I can’t wait to try it!

Radish and Grapefruit Salad

from Food and Drink, Spring 2004

SALAD:
4 small grapefruit
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 ml.) pitted black olives
12 radishes, thinly sliced

DRESSING:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. grapefruit juice
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Peel the grapefruit and cut into sections over a bowl to catch the juice (this should give you enough juice–or more than enough–to make the dressing). Place the grapefruit sections, green onions, olives and radishes in a salad bowl. Chill until ready to serve. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad and gently toss together. Serves four. Best eaten right away. If you want to make it in advance, cut all the ingredients but keep the grapefruit and dressing separate and assemble just before serving.