GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- I'm hoping that you have an answer to my problem. Deer keep eating my roses just as they get to looking nice! What can I do to save the roses?

You have a real good service to the gardeners in this area.

A: There are a number of repellents available that work with varying degrees of success. The one that has worked best in most trials contains ''putrefied egg solids." Sounds pretty gross, but it really doesn't smell up the yard and it usually does keep the deer away. The only disadvantage to it is that you have to apply it regularly, at least once a week, or each time after you water. I have several deer repellent products that contain this material.

Other things that have been tried include bundles of human hair and pieces of deodorant soap hung out on your plants. I've never seen either one of these work very well. One last possibility is dried blood or blood meal. We sell blood meal as an organic nitrogen fertilizer. You sprinkle it around to feed your plants but the smell of the blood tends to deter deer. I've had spotty results with this -- sometimes it works, sometimes not. Wish I could give you a more concrete answer.

-- Dennis Hills, Cox News Service

BOZEMAN. Mont. -- How do you know how much water your plants need during the growing season? One way to find out is to check the soil moisture.

A: Use a steel rod, about 4 feet long and 1/2-inch in diameter.

Fit a piece of wood on one end to serve as a handle. Simply push the rod into the ground, without twisting or wiggling it, and see how far it penetrates.

For most trees and shrubs, the feeder roots are in the top 10 inches of soil.

So if the rod easily penetrates 10 inches into the soil there is enough water for plants to use and no need to water right away.

If the probe penetrates only 5 inches, apply water soon.

Always try to keep the soil moist enough for the probe to penetrate 10 inches easily.

Don't let the plants wilt. Once crop plants have wilted, yields are cut in half even if they are watered enough to perk them up later.

For more watering tips, request the fact sheet, "Yard and Garden Water Management" (publication MT198915AG) at your local MSU Extension office; download it at http://www.montana.edu/publications,or search Dr. Bob's Web site at http://gardenguide.montana.edu.

-- Robert Gough, Montana State University Extension horticulture specialist