Will deer eat banana leaves?

SteveW17 · 04-02-2009, 08:36 PM

I will be setting out some new m. basjoo plants soon (in-ground). These are my first naners and I live in an area heavily frequented by white-tailed deer. We'll get 4-6 at a time meandering through, 2-3 times a week, mostly nibbling on my lawn, occasionally chewing on my azaleas, and other low hanging leaves/branches. We enjoy having them, and they have never done any serious damage- nothing like my poor brother up in Connecticut, who has has his expensive professionally landscaped plantings decimated by the hungry creatures. But I was wondering if anyone else has ever had deer problems or if it's anything I should be concerned about at all.

hammer · 04-02-2009, 08:47 PM

i live with lots of deer around my house i planted nine trees in my front yard last summer there was deer tracks all around them but they never hurt my banana trees.

Chironex · 04-02-2009, 08:48 PM

I don't know the answer, but if you plant clover and some corn near the path where they enter your yard, they should opt for that until your bananas are tall enough that the new growth can't be reached.
Perhaps putting a salt lick in the woods may also help as well as setting up a feeding station with apples, corn and such.

lorax · 04-02-2009, 10:47 PM

They were always much more interested in my hibiscus.

stumpy4700 · 04-02-2009, 10:54 PM

Hey Steve, they leave mine alone and focus on my fruit trees. You don't live too far I can place a tree stand and take care of it,,,,lol,,,Hey Bob you agree?

Las Palmas Norte · 04-03-2009, 01:34 AM

I once saw deer damage that was quite unique. The deer had browsed on the leaf material and left the center mid-ribs alone. This made for a strange looking plant. Should've taken a picture ... dang.

Cheers, Barrie.

Bananaman88 · 04-03-2009, 06:22 AM

Deer absolutely love hostas so if you have any you care to sacrafice..... When I lived in Missouri we frequently had deer come into our yard and I finally had to move all of my hostas to an area they could not reach in order to save any of them.

Bob · 04-03-2009, 08:30 AM

Stumpy , if I had that big of a deer problem and you were closer you'd be the first line of defense!
Since the seasons closed I would say that small applications of blood meal to the leaves will help (you have to reapply regularly) as well as hanging woman's stockings with life buoy soap all around. The scent of blood just makes deer nervous I guess but, it works if they're not starving ,which they're usually not this time of year.

sandy0225 · 04-03-2009, 08:48 AM

my friend Brad down in Brown county has a lot of problems with deer eating his basjoo. Have you tried dusting them with straight baking powder? usually if you keep it on there for a while when the deer taste it they start thinking that this isn't such a good thing to eat. But they will nibble a little first trying it out. Once they reject it, it will take them a while to come back to it, and maybe it would be bigger by then.
I know calves love banana leaves. Every time I'd trim them, they would come up to the fence and beg until I gave them some.

lorax · 04-03-2009, 09:51 AM

I should probably mention that the deer here are about the size of german shepherds - not whitetail or anything big. They can't even reach tall pups.

Bob · 04-03-2009, 11:04 AM

lorax, are they brocket deer?

lorax · 04-03-2009, 01:22 PM

They are indeed - Red Brockets, to be specific. They're so unbearably cute that I can never bring myself to sic the cat on them. Hence, many of my hibiscus have a very well chewed look.

Patty in Wisc · 04-03-2009, 02:00 PM

Plant caster bean plants around the nannas. They are nice & tropical looking & deer stay away from them.

pitangadiego · 04-03-2009, 09:59 PM

Absolutely YES.

mskitty38583 · 04-03-2009, 11:17 PM

i have had most of my nanas planted since may first of last year. we have a deer trail that runs down my fence. my nanas hang over the fence. ive not had any problems with them eating my nana plants. then again....across the street there are pear trees and im sure that could be why they didnt eat my nanas. deer will eat anything that is not posionous or near anything thats posion. so plant daffidills around daylilies and lambsears. plant the castor beans around your other stuff. warning: do not plant castor beans with in 10 ft of anything you intend to eat!!!!

Lagniappe · 04-04-2009, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorax

I should probably mention that the deer here are about the size of german shepherds - not whitetail or anything big. They can't even reach tall pups.

Size is a liability when heat is a factor. The whitetail deer in Belize were about that size and the whitetail in South Texas can be really small as well. In contrast, the Canadian Whitetail are monsters.
This often baffled me.....I mean , what about elephants??? It wasn't until I pondered the woolly mammoth's size that it all made sense :P
Okay, so I remain non-affiliated with the HJ crew.....deer will eat banana leaves. I had a doe that would bed in my Ice Cream matte last year. She only nibbled on new pups though and never caused much damage.

lorax · 04-04-2009, 09:36 AM

I used to get elk in my yard, so I know exactly what you're talking about.

Elephants have very efficient heat-exchange systems via their large ears.... And if you observe their wild behaviour, they spend a lot of time in the water.

04-02-2009, 08:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
SteveW17 SteveW17's Photo Gallery Location: Maryville, TN Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 52 BananaBucks : 38,061 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 49 Times Was Thanked 22 Times in 11 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 15 Times	Will deer eat banana leaves? I will be setting out some new m. basjoo plants soon (in-ground). These are my first naners and I live in an area heavily frequented by white-tailed deer. We'll get 4-6 at a time meandering through, 2-3 times a week, mostly nibbling on my lawn, occasionally chewing on my azaleas, and other low hanging leaves/branches. We enjoy having them, and they have never done any serious damage- nothing like my poor brother up in Connecticut, who has has his expensive professionally landscaped plantings decimated by the hungry creatures. But I was wondering if anyone else has ever had deer problems or if it's anything I should be concerned about at all. __________________

04-02-2009, 08:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
hammer Shannon hammer's Photo Gallery Location: Mountain Home, AR Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Name: Shannon Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 713 BananaBucks : 163,668 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 178 Times Was Thanked 571 Times in 253 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 12 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? i live with lots of deer around my house i planted nine trees in my front yard last summer there was deer tracks all around them but they never hurt my banana trees.

04-02-2009, 08:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
Chironex The causasian Asian! Chironex's Photo Gallery Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Find me on the map! Zone: I have no idea Name: Scot Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,788 BananaBucks : 121,353 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,544 Times Was Thanked 1,406 Times in 808 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 609 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? I don't know the answer, but if you plant clover and some corn near the path where they enter your yard, they should opt for that until your bananas are tall enough that the new growth can't be reached. Perhaps putting a salt lick in the woods may also help as well as setting up a feeding station with apples, corn and such. __________________ Scot

04-02-2009, 10:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
lorax Banned lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 13 / Köppen-Geiger BSh Name: Lorax Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,532 BananaBucks : 308,666 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 742 Times Was Thanked 3,040 Times in 1,188 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 464 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? They were always much more interested in my hibiscus.

04-02-2009, 10:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
stumpy4700 Going Ape for Bananas stumpy4700 's Photo Gallery Location: Satellite Beach, Fla Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 10 Name: Stumpy-----a.k.a Jeff Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,194 BananaBucks : 38,388 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,353 Times Was Thanked 678 Times in 349 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,300 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? Hey Steve, they leave mine alone and focus on my fruit trees. You don't live too far I can place a tree stand and take care of it,,,,lol,,,Hey Bob you agree?

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04-03-2009, 01:34 AM	#6 (permalink)
Las Palmas Norte Las Palmas Norte's Photo Gallery Location: Lantzville, Vancouver Island. Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 8b Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 65 BananaBucks : 26,291 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 11 Times Was Thanked 76 Times in 26 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? I once saw deer damage that was quite unique. The deer had browsed on the leaf material and left the center mid-ribs alone. This made for a strange looking plant. Should've taken a picture ... dang. Cheers, Barrie.

04-03-2009, 06:22 AM	#7 (permalink)
Bananaman88 Bananaculturist Bananaman88's Photo Gallery Location: Houston, TX area Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Brent Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 3,019 BananaBucks : 221,484 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,339 Times Was Thanked 2,263 Times in 1,178 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? Deer absolutely love hostas so if you have any you care to sacrafice..... When I lived in Missouri we frequently had deer come into our yard and I finally had to move all of my hostas to an area they could not reach in order to save any of them.

04-03-2009, 08:30 AM	#8 (permalink)
Bob Orang Puteh Bob's Photo Gallery Location: Washington Twp N.J. Find me on the map! Zone: 6a Name: bob Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,528 BananaBucks : 208,821 Feedback: 12 / 100% Said "Thanks" 9,537 Times Was Thanked 4,058 Times in 1,694 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 565 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? Stumpy , if I had that big of a deer problem and you were closer you'd be the first line of defense! Since the seasons closed I would say that small applications of blood meal to the leaves will help (you have to reapply regularly) as well as hanging woman's stockings with life buoy soap all around. The scent of blood just makes deer nervous I guess but, it works if they're not starving ,which they're usually not this time of year. __________________

04-03-2009, 08:48 AM	#9 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 362,749 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? my friend Brad down in Brown county has a lot of problems with deer eating his basjoo. Have you tried dusting them with straight baking powder? usually if you keep it on there for a while when the deer taste it they start thinking that this isn't such a good thing to eat. But they will nibble a little first trying it out. Once they reject it, it will take them a while to come back to it, and maybe it would be bigger by then. I know calves love banana leaves. Every time I'd trim them, they would come up to the fence and beg until I gave them some. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

04-03-2009, 09:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
lorax Banned lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 13 / Köppen-Geiger BSh Name: Lorax Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,532 BananaBucks : 308,666 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 742 Times Was Thanked 3,040 Times in 1,188 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 464 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? I should probably mention that the deer here are about the size of german shepherds - not whitetail or anything big. They can't even reach tall pups.

04-03-2009, 11:04 AM	#11 (permalink)
Bob Orang Puteh Bob's Photo Gallery Location: Washington Twp N.J. Find me on the map! Zone: 6a Name: bob Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,528 BananaBucks : 208,821 Feedback: 12 / 100% Said "Thanks" 9,537 Times Was Thanked 4,058 Times in 1,694 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 565 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? lorax, are they brocket deer? __________________

04-03-2009, 01:22 PM	#12 (permalink)
lorax Banned lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 13 / Köppen-Geiger BSh Name: Lorax Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,532 BananaBucks : 308,666 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 742 Times Was Thanked 3,040 Times in 1,188 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 464 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? They are indeed - Red Brockets, to be specific. They're so unbearably cute that I can never bring myself to sic the cat on them. Hence, many of my hibiscus have a very well chewed look.

04-03-2009, 02:00 PM	#13 (permalink)
Patty in Wisc tropical nut Patty in Wisc's Photo Gallery Zone: 5 Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,115 BananaBucks : 346,433 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,946 Times Was Thanked 2,510 Times in 1,203 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 69 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? Plant caster bean plants around the nannas. They are nice & tropical looking & deer stay away from them. __________________ Got a lite? Patty ____ Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

04-03-2009, 09:59 PM	#14 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,488 BananaBucks : 132,611 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 2,729 Times in 929 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? Absolutely YES. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

04-03-2009, 11:17 PM	#15 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 193,228 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? i have had most of my nanas planted since may first of last year. we have a deer trail that runs down my fence. my nanas hang over the fence. ive not had any problems with them eating my nana plants. then again....across the street there are pear trees and im sure that could be why they didnt eat my nanas. deer will eat anything that is not posionous or near anything thats posion. so plant daffidills around daylilies and lambsears. plant the castor beans around your other stuff. warning: do not plant castor beans with in 10 ft of anything you intend to eat!!!! __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

04-04-2009, 09:36 AM	#17 (permalink)
lorax Banned lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 13 / Köppen-Geiger BSh Name: Lorax Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,532 BananaBucks : 308,666 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 742 Times Was Thanked 3,040 Times in 1,188 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 464 Times	Re: Will deer eat banana leaves? I used to get elk in my yard, so I know exactly what you're talking about. Elephants have very efficient heat-exchange systems via their large ears.... And if you observe their wild behaviour, they spend a lot of time in the water.

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