permaculture

[Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>]

Geez, around here (Northern California) the deer will die for roses.
(Literally: people often shoot deer that get through fences and eat roses!)
Got any wild ungulates roaming around that can get rid of the roses for
you? If new shoots are tender, could the roses be mown and then grazed? The
very thorny blackberries outside my fence have been nearly eliminated that
way. I've mown the area a couple times each summer for the last couple
years. The deer love the new shoots, especially after August when fresh
greenery is getting scarce. They chew them down to bare thorny twigs, which
I then mow again. This combination eventually depletes the plant to where
is doesn't come back. Similar places which are not deer grazed require much
more mowing (with a lawn mower) and come back much stronger. The trick is
to be diligent. Blackberries can't survive repeated plowing, either. I'd
bet roses are similar.

Mikal

Mikal