Ok Cynthia, let’s jump right in to every gardener's worst nightmare--hungry deer. Sure, they’re beautiful and graceful and they have adorable little fawns, but now THEY'RE DEVOURING OUR PRIZE PLANTS! If any of my blog readers haven’t had this problem yet, just wait till they eat your entire garden to the ground. We’ll hear the cry of anguish all over Delaware County. And it's only going to get worse as the land in our communities continues to be developed. Less available habitat + more deer (they’re still having babies) = deer dining in your garden.
How did we get into this mess? Here’s a statistic to make your hair stand up: Penn State University wildlife specialist Dr. Gary San Julian says “just five male and five female deer can produce up to 200 deer in just five years.” That's a shocker, isn't it? To compound the problem, suburban development has resulted in fewer natural enemies and less land for all those deer to roam. Some people feed the deer, which keeps them coming back. And while those moochers are there for the handout, they scope out the property for green delicacies.
A deer's fear of humans decreases and it becomes bolder as it adjusts to life in our suburban developments. A Master Gardener friend of mine has pictures of fawns on her front porch getting ready to ring the doorbell. Last fall I saw three deer on my driveway, scarfing down acorns just three feet from my front door.
What’s a devoted gardener to do? The only sure way to make your plants 100% safe is to put up a deer fence. Sorry, but it’s true. There are other ways to protect your greenery, but you’d need to work full-time at it. Deer are smart and adaptable (kind of like bird feeder-raiding squirrels). They can learn to tolerate just about any obnoxious odor or gadget you throw at them. And all those scents and gadgets are just a temporary fix. Combining two or three deterrents at a time could keep the deer on theirs toes, but in about two to three weeks, those crafty critters will adjust to all your efforts to deter them. If you’re willing to play that game on a regular basis, go for it. Otherwise, get an invisible deer fence. Or a dog. Or both. Deer won’t jump even a low fence if a dog is inside waiting for them. Oh, and there’s just one catch about the dog deterrent—the dog would have to be unleashed and outside when the deer decide to browse your garden (which means all day and all night).
If you can’t go the fence route or don’t have a dog, then go for a combination of nasty-smelling spray repellents and clever gadgets. You’ll need to keep changing to different repellents and gadgets every few weeks. And those malodorous scents need to be re-sprayed after a heavy rain. It would also help to plant “deer resistant” plants around the perimeter of your property, especially where the deer habitually enter.
When using the deer resistant plant strategy, keep in mind that no plant is completely deer-proof (sad but true). A starving deer will eat anything. And then there’s the problem of the maverick deer that just has to be different by enjoying a taste the others don’t. If your deer are not starving but only hungry, the following plants would probably cause them to move on to tastier fare:
all grey plants (dusty miller, artemisia, Russian sage)
all fuzzy leafed plants (lamb’s ears, yaku rhododendrons)
poisonous plants** (monks hood, foxglove, daffodils, datura)
most herbs (especially the strongly-scented ones)
**These plants are poisonous to people, too! Wear gloves when working with them. You might not want to plant them if you have small children.
Some plants are never safe around deer, no matter what you do. The following plants are considered deer candy:
Hostas, azaleas, daylilies, roses, tulips, yews, arborvitae, fruits and vegetables.
So in summary, your options are:
motion activated water sprayers
motion activated light & sound combo gadget
foul-smelling spray repellents
scented shock gadgets
invisible deer fence
“deer resistant” plants
Next time I’ll talk about deer behavior and habits so you can be prepared to protect your garden appropriately as the seasons change. Until then, happy gardening!
Don't forget to check out the Master Gardeners' Events Calendar at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.html (scroll down to find the info)
We're offering a tour of our Smedley Park display gardens on July 14 from 10 AM to 12 noon. Check our website to register or call 610-690-2655.
Do you have a gardening question? Call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.
