Hi all! First time poster, just literally signed up 3 minutes ago.
So one month ago I planted a nice little contender peach tree. Being this is my first peach tree, I was super excited to get it into the ground. For the last 3 and a half weeks, it has been thriving. Then during the wee hours of night, Bambi and his mom decided to dine on my tree!! They literally ate every darn leaf but the top clump. See pics below of right before I planted it and what happened to it last night.
Off to Lowes I went this afternoon and got stakes and deer fencing. I now have an interior fence for small critters and a 6.5ft tall fence for Bambi and friends.
My question is will the tree bounce back and grow leaves again?? It was thriving before. Please someone give me good news 
!
2 Likes
Here’s the tree before I planted it. As a new user I can only upload one pic per post.
And here’s the outer fence I built. The inner fence didn’t do diddly! 
1 Like
Welcome! I believe the tree will live, one way or another, I don’t grow peach but have cherries where I experienced an animal eating WOOD, yes wood, it wasn’t much damage to leaves but I believe that because of this now my tree has a bunch of smaller versions of itself (suckers), do usually these trees will feel damage and motivate themselves to grow.
1 Like
Deer are the worst. Same thing happens to me if I don’t spray deer deterrent quickly enough.
Leaf buds will re-emerge, but will take 2-3 weeks. Growth on the remaining uneaten leaves will grow very fast. Situation is not ideal but tree will bounce back nicely.
Give it some high N fertilizer to encourage more leafing.
2 Likes
I use deer repellent but the way I am protecting my cherries I built a crazy protection system. For one cherry bush (small) I have one 3ft fence then a cage and yes you guessed it this was the one that the wood was eaten. All because the top wasn’t covered, the branches weren’t even sticking out. Now 8 but a half inch by half inch black net around it as I use on other plants. Ah these animals…
Thanks everyone!!
Sockworth, I don’t know anything about fertilizer. Can you recommend what I should use and how much?
And for everyone, here’s a pic of the tree before I planted it 
2 Likes
That’s really nice, is peach your favorite fruit
I am not sure if this is good but I use Dr. Earth fruit tree fertilizer, it’s a blue bag, I use under the amount recommended dose that is written there, I think it may actually have worked with boosting growth for me.
1 Like
Peaches and red raspberries are mine and my little man’s favorite fruit. I just planted two raspberry plants as well. They are unprotected!! Tomorrow I’ll be draping the mesh over them!
2 Likes
I have some raspberries too they are blooming first year, you may have already guessed but my favorite spare sour cherries. Peaches are amount my favorites too, hope you tree gives fruit soon 
If you have access to urine, this might be the best to do:
Pee into a 2 gallon watering can, fill it up with water. Water some of the mix into the rootzone, and also a little outside of the existing root zone to encourage roots to spread out.
A lot of us will save urine and use it as quick release free fertilizer. I usually use something like 8 parts water to 1 part urine but it needs not be super exact.
That said, since you got your tree from a big box store, it’s probably already got some time release fertilizer (look for little blue balls) incorporated into the growing medium. It shouldn’t hurt adding more quick release fertilizer.
1 Like
I agree, I go with the lower side of things because I am afraid of fertilizer burn, but heard this method is good.
I bought a cherry from Home Depot but the leaves got weird, first chlorosis, now this. An example of more silent enemy.
I’m laughing but not at you just funny! I will definitely try some pee! What do I have to lose!! And palmy, my plants are just there now, unprotected. What do you recommend me protecting them? Can I put a tomato cage around them and then wrap my deer mesh around them? And when do you think they’ll bear fruit? Here’s a pic of them.
I don’t know when they will bear fruit but flowers maybe next year, usually a year will give them enough time, I am on that 2 second year, so I got the flowers will see what happens I bought them last season. As for protection do you mean the fine black mesh net, I got it from home depot. I used a round metal cage for my cherry but I guess you can do for this, if you don’t like the looks of I cage I think an adequate cover over the plant will do but the mesh, make sure it isn’t smushed with the mesh but is cover with a thick layer. I used green sticks to wraps the mesh in a circle around the plant to act as a cage against deep but also prevent smaller animals from getting in.
Thanks palmy!! Keep me posted on how they do!!
1 Like
Alright, as of now they are ok but have odd holes in them with some yellowing, only hoping it isn’t bad. Also wanted to mention since you joined today I believe for a day you can’t post over a certain amount of replies, just wanted to let you know because before when I joined a few months ago I posted some replies but after that it didn’t let me so it was a big surprise 
A beautiful setting for them to thrive. 
1 Like
