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Oh, Deer!
How to keep your treasured
plants from becoming the main course.
Everyone has heard
the horror stories or has told the story them self. You know
the one. One early morning a herd of four legged eating
machines has pulled out all of your begonias and left them
laying on the ground. Your beautiful holly tree has been
limbed up for you, and your hosta garden has been reduced to
shredded cabbage. You stare out the window at them, and even
beat on the glass a few times. They lift up their heads,
staring back at you through the window knowing two panes of tempered
glass is more than enough to keep them safe.
Here are some
helpful hints for keeping these walking stomachs from decimating
your yard.
Protective netting for gardens
and landscaping
Deer are well
known for browsing their favorite plants, many times
they will eat only those favorites and leave the rest of your
garden untouched. If you notice year after year that you
have deer damage on the same plants, maybe it's time to do something
about
protecting those plants. A 3/4" nearly invisible
polypropylene mesh is loosely draped over the plant and is secured
either to the plant or to anchors on the ground. The
netting is so thin that it virtually disappears into the shading and
textures of the
plant.
This is an extremely effective method of curbing browsing during the
winter months when the deer are most hungry and active.
Repellent Sprays to deter from
a plant or an area
There are
many different brands of repellant sprays
available. Rather than tell you about each of them
individually lets put them into two groups.
Scent based:
Scent based
sprays are by far the most common type of spray on the market.
The producer takes a scent that is known to frighten or repulse deer
from an area, then concentrates the smell and adds it to a medium
that is as durable on a plant as possible.
Some of the most common substances used as repellants are eggs,
urine, and blood meal. The advantage of the scent based
repellant is that scents travel in the wind and can deter deer from
browsing in entire areas rather than just on the plant that you
sprayed. Unfortunately most of the scents that repulse a deer
are also repulsive to you. Typically scent based
repellants are suggested for areas that are a short distance from
the house. It may take a couple of days for the aroma of a
scent based spray to become undetectable to your nose. One
scent based spray that we have worked extensively with and had great
results is Liquid Fence. Liquid fence is all natural repellent
that is safe to use and pet friendly.
Taste based:
Taste based sprays are a little less common than scent based sprays.
Both, though, have their uses in the garden. Areas next to
walking paths or by the house where you just can't have an
 aroma
may call for a taste based spray. Tree Guard, the most common
taste based spray has an advantage over many scent based sprays as
it is rainproof for six weeks. The only downside to taste
based repellents is that you must directly spray the plants you wish
to protect.
Tree guard is even more effective during the winter months where
there is little precipitation to wash the product off.
Many people use this product for their evergreens in the winter
months when deer are the most hungry.
Use deer
resistant plants in your landscape
Gallery of
deer-resistant plants:
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Yarrow
Peony
Dead
nettle
Boxwood
White
Pine
Summersweet
sensible
plant choices, deer netting and applications of spray repellants to
protect the most defenseless plants will help you have a lovely,
colorful garden in spite of the deer.