Winter Deer Damage to Fruit Trees

Great Article on Winter Deer Damage to Fruit Trees

We just came to our cabin in northern lower Michigan (Alcona county) to find our deer fences smashed in and branches eaten and broken from our three year old fruit trees (apple, plum, cherry, pear). It's so close to winter, I'm afraid to trim off the broken branches, should I try splicing/grafting? And with what? Help! (We ARE planning to install our taller fence around them).

Alcona County Michigan

1 Response

I don't live much farther from you-I am down in Tawas. I have to tell you that the deer have been particularly bold and aggressive this year from my and many other's observations.

Sounds like your plan to build a higher fence next year is a good one. The good news from your pictures is that you don't have any trunk damage. Trunk damage is much more serious than broken branches.

Once a branch is broken, you cannot splice it back together. You will just need to prune that branch. Anytime there is a break in a branch, it stimulates plant hormones to regrow the area. As such, we typically don't recommend pruning until right before the winter so that the tree is entering dormancy and can resume growth in the spring rather then growing right now. However, in your case, the deer did the pruning for you, so it really doesn't matter if you trim those branches off right now. It is best to make a cut near an emerging branch bud, so look below where the deer chewed, and then make a cut right above an emerging bud. The emerging bud will be a little bump in the branch. Given that it is almost November, the tree probably won't kick into growth at this point, so you should be okay. Even if it does a little, no worries-the trees are going to live.

On a side note-I see you have your trunks wrapped-which is good. If it is tape from last year, put fresh stuff on. The plastic rolls are fine. Old tape sometimes harbors insects. Wrap the trunk fairly high and don't leave too much spaces. And maintain those fences around the trees. They are not very high, but if you take fishing line and run it back and forth across the top of the fencing and through the branches, that sometimes spooks deer. You could also spray some liquid deer repellant on the top branches from time to time, but that usually has to get repeated.

Credit To Sarah @ Mich Extension