A small japanese maple sapling and perhaps 1/2 tp 3/4 inch in diameter (3 years old), about 2/12 feet tall, has just disappeared from my deck, 25 feet off the ground, leaves, shoots and all, leaving a clean cut with small striations on closer viewing (with glasses - otherwise it appears to have been clipped cleanly with sheers). (It wasn't) - It was there yesterday. It's gone today. Despite my nurserman's contention that it was probably a) beetles or b) birds seeking beetles, the fact that the whole thing has disappeard without a crumb indicates that something hungrier was at work. Do rats eat trees? There was a pretty good amount of foliage and stem. We have ruled out flying beavers, giant snails and climbing bunnies. There is a squirrel in the neighborhood, no noticible racolarge snails ons, a couple of skunks. There could be possums, but none have been sighted for some time. Ground level fruit trees, particulary lemon, orange and apricot, all in fruit, have not been touched. Thank you. San Francisco, CA.
San Fransico ... my old stompin' grounds. Good Jazz and Blues. Where in SF are you? The city or the county? haha... What's the difference? I have given this some serious thought and I was wondering if you have considered one of the most dangerous creatures on the face of this earth ... Man, or maybe kids who mistake Japanese Maples for marijuana. Rabbits are sometimes a problem for mine. Usually in winter. Deer?
Brad, back in the 80's I had about 20 acer p. in pots waiting to be picked up by a volunteer from a plant society. They were in my drive way under the shade of a tree. Saturday morning the two older ladies arrived. I helped them load up their car. Just as we were saying good by the police showed up. four of them! I went to school with three of the four. All were customers of mine. Some one who happened to be out for a walk reported that some one was growing pot in the drive way at this address. We all had a good laugh, and when there's a fund raiser I am requested to donate more of those unusual looking trees. The second time, my friends and I were coming back from a rare plant event. We stopped on the highway for gas and to use the bathroom. Just as we were leaving, (no pun intended) the state police blocked us with two cruisers. The gas station attendant reported us, as having several pot plants in the car. They were much less entertained by the facts, we were falling down laughing. My friend told them the story above and they called to confirm the story and the events were true. I sent the police a dozen seedlings so they would have them for comparison. They thanked me for the donation and the education. The stories aren't that funny but my friend can make any one laugh at any time, any subject, any place. So the moral to the story is..... look for the maple smoking kids in the neighbor hood !
Mary Jane Ron, I had a man from the state forestry commision come out here about 3 weeks ago and when I pointed out my 9' 'Omure yama' he looked at the leaves, sported a big grin and said "that looks like marijuana"... gotta go, I hear helicopters circling overhead.
I live in fear that the meter reader will notice the ranks of Brugmansia wintering over in the utility room and turn me in ;-)
I was going to start a thread with this title when low and behold I see I am not alone! Naive me, thinking that deer (seems to be the most likely culprit, as they are multiplying rapidly round here) would leave the maples alone. Bit surprised though that they munched up the trunk as well and left me little spiteful stubs. Concerned now about the other 9 grafts planted this fall. Suggestions? Anybody have any success with deer repellant? see attached obituary: RIP filigree fall 2007-winter 2007
There are "packs" of deer in our area. A lot came through our yard 2 years ago, snacking on a few plants including the silk tree, but for some reason are not crossing our yard the past half year. Have you considered encircling the trees with a few small stakes and screen for a temporary barrier?
I did put a small fence around the trees that are in ground (I can take a bit wider shot) but more to protect from an overly ambitious lawn guy! Maybe I'll need to get much larger screens.
Were that to happen here the suspicion would land fairly on top of a couple of hares which frequent my gardens and love to feed on the new shoots of my Japanese maples in springtime I had to circle the younger plants with netting for protection The affected trees were cut off as if by a sharp knife, just as described above Get yourself a security camera ..........
Well you're right on that account! Amazing how sharp the cuts were. A real professional operation if you ask me...
I don't know how big everybody is on chemicals, but there are chemicals out there that you can buy at places like Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, etc that sell deer repellants and what not. If you're a more organic type of gardener, there's most likely a more environmentally friendly or organic way of repelling these pests.
Re: Something ate my maple & deer repellent http://www.wirelessdeerfence.com/wdf/description.html Here is a link to a deer-retraining device. I do not have a deer issue so I have no need for it. I learned of its benefits at a garden show some years ago. I was so impressed with their novel solution that I saved their contact information. I have seen the damage deer have done to gardens, yet seeing a herd of deer out side your window should always be a welcome event.
Your situation sounds like deer damage, but I seriously doubt that any deer would climb up to a deck 25' above the ground. We have a bad problem with deer in my neighborhood but they generally leave my JMs alone -- with the exception of my Acontifolium, which they have trimmed back several times. Last summer, I finally got tired of the deer damage and dug up the Acontifolium and moved it to a pot on my deck. Squirrels will sometime chew on other plants on my deck, mostly succulents such as Jade plants when the weather is dry. But the squirrels have never bothered any of my maples.
thanks for the link richard, I found this study kind of interesting as well: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1568&context=icwdm_usdanwrc
For me it is not deer but rabbits, they cut the heads off any tree that is less then about 45 cm or 18 inches. Last night they ate a hole patch of heuchera. If you have ever taken a bite out of heuchera you would have to think the poor little things are starving. This may very will be, the only perfect habitat anywhere around. No dogs, not cat and plenty of hiding places. I see them all out at the break of dawn, so cute running around. There was I time I would have seen this as an opportunity for a great dinner, but I have grown too old and way too soft. I even hesitate to put out coyote unine, but I have no choice I can not feed these things twenty dollar plants. I wish these guys made a shocker for rabbits, then I could train them to feed on something else.
