Folks,
I live in an area with a high deer population, and my neighbor has warned me about planting tulips.
I read somewhere that the Dutch plant fritillaria and tulips together to deter deer.
Has anyone tried this, and does it work? If yes, does it work only for deer or rabbits as well?
Thanks!
Using fritillaria to protect tulips?
I just saw that no one had answered you.
Only one type of fritillaria deters critters, and that's Fritillaria imperialis. Have you ever smelled it before? The whole thing (bulb, leaves, flowers) stinks like skunk! Definitely stinkier and longer lasting than any deer deterrent on the market.
It does deter voles and squirrels from eating the bulbs, but I don't know if the smell is strong enough to deter other plants surrounding it.
Also, F. imperialis is a really tall plant, and I can't imagine a taller tulip. So if a tulip is in front of it, maybe the deer would get just close enough to eat the tulip.
Another thing to consider is that you want the tulip to bloom at the same time as the fritillaria for maximum effect, but bloom time would be hard to control.
So my conclusion is that if you have a minor deer problem, F. imperialis might give you just enough protection, but if you have severe deer pressure, it probably won't be enough to deter them.
I have used tulips for rabbit and vole protection for years. I plant a very small daffodil (my favorite is the cheap and charming Division 1 miniature trumpet WP Milner), but anything will work. Miniatures are great because you don't have huge strapping foliage rearing its ugly head for weeks. The foliage on the miniatures is small and melts away much more quickly. Daffodils are poisonous, and I found that creatures that had ravaged my plantings left them alone. I think that they can pick up the scent of the daffodils.
For squirrels I have found, after many years of experimentation, that freshly ground black pepper (it has to be fresh - I use a pepper grinder from a thrift store) applied at the time you plant and perhaps one day later stops them from digging. Be sure to water the pepper after application.
And if you have chipmunks, they are repelled by just a sprinking of Milorganite.
Donna, the original question was about deer, though, and I know daffodil doesn't *deter* deer from eating surrounding plants like tulips.
Btw, I did the same thing with my daffodils (using them to protect my other bulbs), and the squirrels still dug up the daffodil bulbs. They didn't eat them, obviously, but they were still dug up. I've tried red pepper (which didn't work), but I gotta try your black pepper technique.
Milorganite is supposed to be a moderate deer repellant, as well. University research studies note that it's not as effective in areas with heavy deer pressure.
DumberThanThou (great name), if you have heavy deer pressure, the only thing that works is a physical barrier.
The original question added rabbits. I was answering in reference to them - daffs do work. They also work for voles. I didn't address deer. I don't have any, and I really do think that nothing deters them for any length of time other than the two fence technique that takes advantage of the fact that they do not not like to jump when they cannot see the other side. I also read that they do not like ground that moves, but what are you supposed to do, out in mattress springs?
Ah, red pepper. I have a story for you. Many years ago I was trying to grow lilies in pots. They kept being destroyed. So I sprinkled cayenne pepper all over them - to the point where they looked quite awful.
The next morning I heard a strange sneezing noise. There, sitting in my lily pot, sneezing between bites, with red pepper all over it's little face, was a squirrel.
That was when I learned that red pepper doesn't work.
I just put in my new bulbs and did the black pepper thing. We have squirrels all over the place and they are leaving them alone. But if I don't pepper any earth that has been moved - anywhere - they are all over it.
Haha, mattress springs! That would be quite a sight, a row of mattress springs in front of a bed of tulips.
I can't imagine a sneezing squirrel eating lilies. Too bad it was before everyone had cameras on their phones!
Ssgardener, it was just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. But wow, it just shows how tough those little guys can be!
Whenever I plant any bulbs I have rocks or old pavers especially for laying on top of the area where the bulbs are planted. In spring when I notice that the old bulbs in other ares are sprouting I remove the rocks and pavers , because you know my friends the Squirrels cannot moves my rocks and pavers .lol
THAT is very clever, cytf!