Yes, I'm talking about you!

If you’re reading this, you are probably only too well aware that deer damage is a major headache in many areas of the country. If several deer establish a feeding pattern in your area, the constant damage can be very discouraging.

Many animals graze in gardens, so how do you know that the damage is from deer and not some other animal? Signs of damage specific to deer include the type and location of the damage, the type of droppings, and hoof prints.

Indeed, hoof prints are the most obvious sign that deer have been in a garden: the prints left by deer will be two to three inches long and have a distinct tapered oval shape cloven down the middle, much like a ‘broken heart’.

Deer that have been standing or grazing in an area will leave tracks that are uniformly deep, and found in sets of two or four. Running deer leave staggered prints, and these tracks will be deeper in the front and shallower in the rear. One or two sets of tracks through the week are not cause for concern, but recurring and multiple tracks may indicate grazing.

Deer scat or droppings, take the form of small, elongated pellets. In the winter, the pellets are hard and tend to scatter; during the spring and summer, the change in diet leads to pellets that clump together and stay in a single mass. Deer droppings are sometimes mistaken for rabbit droppings, but tend to be elongated rather than perfectly round.

Deer will eat mostly any kind of plant life, especially if other food is scarce. When in season, deer favor berries, small fruits, and flowering plants; in the winter, anything green, and most twigs, will do.

Another sign of deer damage is if your trees and shrubs are eaten at about waist height. Given a choice, deer prefer to graze at or above their standing height. Foliage damage at this level will usually eliminate smaller garden pests as the culprit.

Deer damage tends to be ragged, leaving bare stems and scarred bark. This is because deer teeth have no front incisors; they strip bark and leaves by raking and gouging the plants, or tearing the leaves and fruit from the tree.

Preventing deer damage most effectively means keeping the deer away from the garden. Methods such as poison and chemical deterrents can have unwanted side effects, or affect undesired targets. The only 100% effective solution to deer damage is to build a deer fence.  Deer fencing is a proven and reliable method of discouraging large animals without harmful effects; deer fencing comes in many kinds, from nearly invisible netting to sturdy wire.

To learn more about deer fencing and other deer fence products, visit Ryan Rollins’ site DeerBusters.com.

The creeping broom are the two yellow plants in foreground.

After nearly a year of using Bobbex deer repellent spray, I am happy to report that it actually works!

I must say that I am pleasantly surprised, because until I tried Bobbex I wasn’t much of a fan of sprays. I really dislike the smell of PlantSkyd, and the homemade cayenne pepper sprays never worked very well in my garden.

Last spring I planted six creeping broom (genista) groundcover shrubs, having been assured by my local garden center that the deer would not touch broom. Well, my deer had not been informed of that and they continually nibbled the new spring growth. When I mentioned this to the garden center owner, he encouraged me to try Bobbex.

I was resistant to trying yet another spray; my experience over the years has been that sprays are a lot of work for very little results. To overcome my resistance, my guy offered me half a bottle of Bobbex for free.

I went home and sprayed my poor bald, stubby broom plants with Bobbex. It smelled bad (like strong garlic) but not nearly as bad as PlantSkyd. To my surprise, the deer lost interest in the broom and the plants started to gain some size. The deer have never touched the broom since.

My sister-in-law lives right next door to me so we “enjoy” the same herd of deer. At my suggestion, she tried Bobbex on her patio planters. It worked! With reapplication about every two weeks, my sister-in-law was able to enjoy mixed planters containing annuals such as allyssum, lobelia and impatiens — all plants that deer normally devour.

I’m now a Bobbex convert, and will be buying the big one gallon concentrate to use this Spring.

Enjoying a beautiful garden without deer damage

When even your deer-resistant plants are being eaten and your landscaping is being devoured, what can you do to keep deer out of your yard? You need a game plan that outsmarts the deer. By using methods that understand how deer tick, you’ll reclaim your yard and protect your investment.

Repellents WORK

One of the most effective ways to keep deer out of yards or gardens is by using repellents. There are many types of deer repellents available on the market today, including spray repellents, water repellents and electronic shock repellents. It’s important to research and select the most effective deer repellent for your backyard.

Spray Repellents

Deer have highly developed senses of taste and smell. Spray repellents repel deer by affecting one or more of these sensitive senses.  By spraying repellents on your property, deer will learn that your yard is not their dining room.

The most effective deer repellents contain putrescent egg and garlic to target their sense of smell, and capsaicin to target their sense of taste. The garlic and rotten egg smells mimic the stench of decaying animals. Deer will get a whiff of this scent, and are fooled into believing a predator is nearby. A deer, or any animal for that matter, wants to stay far away from a predator, so repellents cause the deer to flee the area.

If for some reason the smell doesn’t stop them, the taste coating your plants definitely will. Capsaicin is the active component in chili peppers that gives peppers their “heat” and produces a burning sensation. Because of this characteristic, capsaicin makes an excellent form of deer deterrent. When you spray repellents that use capsaicin on your garden plants, deer will by turned off by the biting sensation when they taste it, effectively discouraging them from dining on your plants. Deer will move on to greener and tastier pastures.

Plus, these dual-action deer repellents have been shown to work for other animals, such as rabbits and squirrels, so you can rid your yard of multiple critters with just one product.

Keep in mind; some spray repellents contain chemicals which shouldn’t be used in fruit and vegetable gardens, so be cautious. The best choice is organic deer repellent that displays the Organic Materials Review Institute-listed® (OMRI) seal, which means it’s approved for use in organic gardening and safe for your family, your plants, and the environment.

So You’re Ready To Spray, Now What?

Repellents are sold in liquid form, as concentrated or convenient ready-to-use formulas. Simply spray the repellent on areas you want protected. For fast and simple application, look for a battery powered sprayer, especially for larger yards.

To more effectively keep deer out of your yard, look for repellents with a high potency, so they are long lasting. This means they are easier to maintain, since you only have to spray every few months. Some spray repellents require frequent reapplication, especially after rainfall. This can become quite costly to maintain, as well as time-consuming.

High-Tech Water Repellents

Motion-activated water repellents spray deer with jets of water when they are within a set proximity to the sensor. This method will startle the deer and condition the animal to avoid the area. Some infrared sensors can detect movement within areas as large as 1000 square feet. This method also works for other critters that venture into your yard.

Electronic Repellents Mean Business

Electronic repellents use gentle shock to repel. The idea is to startle the deer with the shock, and deter them from damaging the area. Most electronic shock repellents are easy to install, and don’t require the homeowner to run any wires. This method can be used in combination  with a spray-repellent for extra protection.

Interested in Fencing?

The only 100% effective deer repellent is a deer fence.  Deer fencing is a proven and reliable method of discouraging large animals without harmful effects; it comes in many kinds, from nearly invisible netting to sturdy wire. However, fences tend to not be an option for many homeowners since it negatively affects the aesthetics of the landscape.

Have Hope

Many homeowners have found success using deer repellents to keep deer out of their yards, and you can, too. Try the methods above to see which one works best in your area. You’ll be happy you did.

Article by Jon Kander.

Deer are surprisingly curious animals

It’s a cold winter day here in the Pacific Northwest, and there’s actually a few inches of snow on the ground. With winter on our door steps you’re probably thinking you’re out of the woods when it comes to deer damage in your backyard landscapes.

In fact, winter marks the beginning of the worst season for deer damage. Deer will eat just about anything — their food supply is very low and they can’t be choosy. They’re hungry enough to eat vegetation that they ordinarily would not choose to eat.

The most important thing to understand about fighting deer is that it’s easier to prevent damage than to react to it. So it behooves you to know your enemy and stay at least one step ahead of them. Deer are creatures of habit — they establish feeding patterns and return to the same spot over and over again, even when that same spot stops offering enough food for them.

According to testing by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bobbex Deer Repellent is more effective than nine other commercial deer repellents in the marketplace (including coyote urine), and gave it a 93 percent protection index, second only to a fence at 100 percent.

Now available in Canada and well as the USA, Bobbex Deer Repellent is made from a combination of ingredients that blends the scents of putrescent eggs, garlic, fish, clove oil, and vinegar (among other things), it works by mimicking predator scents, and is classed as a fear repellent. It also tastes awful, so deer have at least two reasons to avoid it. Bobbex can be applied in almost any climate or temperature and will not wash off after heavy rain, it dries clear and will not burn plant material.

I started using Bobbex last spring, and I’m thrilled to report that it actually works. Bobbex requires reapplication every couple of weeks during rapid springtime plant growth and once per month in the winter. For more information on Bobbex, including where to buy online and at local garden retailers, visit http://bobbex.ca/

These deer-damaged Thuja occidentalis are too damaged to grow back

If you’ve got deer in your neighborhood, it’s important to choose the right hedging material before putting out hundreds of dollars on hedge trees.  If you don’t do your research, you’ll end up with a hedge that looks like a row of lamps like the one pictured here.

I think it’s a crime that garden centers even sell Thuja occidentalis (commonly sold as ‘Pyramidalis’ cedar) without asking if it’s going in a fenced yard. Garden center staff should warn customers that the hedging is not deer proof and will have to be enclosed within a tall fence. There are countless examples of these goofy looking half-eaten hedges in my neighborhood, and I really feel sorry for the owners.

5 deer resistant evergreen hedges

Thuja plicata is deer-resistant

1) Thuja plicata (arborvitae) is mentioned on the British Columbia Environment Ministry website as being resistant to deer browse and also shade tolerant.

Keep in mind that Thuja plicata is a forest giant, so you are best to plant a dwarf cultivar to get it to be in scale for the home garden. There are not many of these to choose from on the market at any one time, because unlike T. occidentalis it has not given off a quantity of variants. An alternative to searching out dwarf cultivars of Thuja plicata is to keep it  pruned to prevent it from attaining its full potential.

IMPORTANT: Be careful which Thuja you purchase: there are many different varieties and while some are deer resistant, many are not. For example, as mentioned above, Thuja occidentalis (commonly sold as ‘Pyramidalis’ cedar) is notorious for being eaten heavily in winter by deer.  The resulting skinny-on-the-bottom shape is really dreadful looking. Unfortunately, the trees will never recover their natural shape, even if you protect them after the damage has been done.

2) Leylandi cypress is a beautiful hedging tree and completely deer proof. Once established (by about the third year) it is extremely fast growing, which is a mixed blessing. In my previous home we had a gorgeous Leylandi cypress privacy hedge, but it was a big job to prune it every spring. It requires a lot of space (minimum of 10 feet), even if you are diligent about pruning it.

Some people love Leylandi Cypress for its size and fast growth, others loathe it for exactly the same reasons. Here’s a lively discussion about the pros and cons of Leylandi Cypress as a hedge.

Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshimo'

3) Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) ‘Yoshino’ is a fast-growing evergreen tree that makes an absolutely stunning hedge. However, given that it is fast-growing, you will need to keep up with the pruning to keep it in scale. I’ve seen one local  ‘Yoshino’ specimen tree which has grown to about 7′ diameter by 20′ tall in 22 years with no attempt to restrain its growth. If you find it too tall in 10 to 15 years, just cut it off at the base. New shoots will emerge so just pick the strongest one and start again.

4) Italian Buckthorn cultivar ‘John Edwards’ is a narrow evergreen shrub  that is reliably deer resistant. This is a truly beautiful shrub that fills the increasing need for fast-growing, easy care, moderately-tall-yet-narrow plants that will work in today’s smaller urban lot size. The leaves are small and the tiny flowers at the base of the outermost leaves are a noticeable orange-red which open to pale yellow. In good soil with very moderate watering and a southern exposure, it can triple in height in two years yet remain less than 2′ around. Only hardy to zone 8.

Choisya ternata

5) Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom) is an attractive shrub with glossy green leaves that grows quickly to a maximum height about six feet tall. It has fragrant white blooms in late spring and responds well to pruning. The deer never touch it. It can’t be grown in extremely cold climates, as it is only cold hardy to zone 8.

Deer damage the garden, but they also provide magical moments

There are days when I consider fencing off my so-called “deer proof garden” to completely protect the landscape from deer damage.

And then I wake up in the morning to a sight like this mother deer with her two little spotted fawns.

There’s something magical about having magnificent wild creatures wandering around my property that makes me willing to compromise on the garden.

So I’ll continue modifying my gardening practices, and try to take a philosophical approach to the deer damage – all so that I can enjoy magic moments like the one pictured here.

Osteospermum (African Daisy or Cape Daisy) is deer resistant

One of the things I most look forward to in late Spring is getting my hanging baskets planted up. Of course, with my deer population I have to think about what annual flowers deer don’t like

The good news

First, the good news: there are some annual flowers that deer don’t eat. Anything in the daisy family will be fine. A good choice is osteospermum (African daisy), which is pictured here.  Other deer-proof annuals include marigolds, mimulus (commonly known as Monkey Flower), ageratum, calenduala, dusty miller, poppies, black-eyed susan, and nicotiana (flowering tobacco).

All herbs are deer proof

All herbs are fine, and lavender, sage and thyme make lovely additions to hanging baskets. Sage has many different varieties – just look for the latin name ‘salvia’ in the plant name and you know that you’ve got a sage. For planting in hanging baskets, be sure to get the dwarf variety of plants such as sage and nicotiana that come in different heights.

Geraniums are borderline. Depending on the year, sometimes my geraniums make it through, other times they don’t. the stronger scented geraniums are safest, as deer don’t like a strong herbal smell.

The bad news

Next, the bad news: deer do eat many, many annual flowers.

Hanging basket flowers that deer love to eat include pretty much everthing that isn’t listed above as deer-safe. In particular, deer love to eat the hanging basket favorites lobelia, petunias, allyssum, snapdragon, and begonia.

Preventative measures

The good thing about hanging baskets is by definition, they hang. You can have anything in your hanging baskets if you hang them high enough that the deer can’t reach them. But be aware that deer have been known to stand on their hind legs to reach tasty morsels!

Another preventative measure is to spray your hanging basket flowers with something that is unpalatable to deer. Common sprays include Bobbex (which actually works), cayenne pepper sprays and PlantSkyd.

A big disadvantage of sprays is that they wash off with water. So if your hanging baskets are in a place where they get rained on, you’ll have to reapply the spray after every rain. This may or may not be an issue for you, depending on how often you get rain in your area. And if your hanging baskets are under cover – such as on a porch or under the eaves – you may not need to reapply the spray as often.

As far as PlantSkyd goes – I absolutely detest the smell. Honestly, it smells like an abbatoir and nothing would make me spray that on my plants.

Japanese Painted Fern

Ferns are a good choice for a deer proof garden. I grow about 15 varieties of hardy outdoor ferns and the deer seldom touch them. My favorite fern is the Japanese Painted Fern (pictured here) which has beautiful silver and burgandy coloring.

Ferns thrive in moist shady conditions. A mulch such as well-rotted leaves or cedar chips under and around your ferns will help keep the moisture in the soil. Ferns will also grow in dry shade but will not be as lush.

Here is a list of ferns that are reliably deer proof in the landscape.

Salal (Gaultheria shallon)

To find out what is deer proof in your neighbourhood, look at your neighbours’ landscapes. Are there any particular plants that the deer tend to leave alone? That will give you a good idea of what the deer will leave alone in your neighbourhood.   Ask around and see if there is a general consensus among your neighbours before investing in a particular plant.

And even still, there’s no guarantee when it comes to those fickle deer. I’ll give you an example: my neighbour across the street has a gorgeous 10 foot tall Beauty Bush that suffers virtually no deer damage. You’d think I’d be safe planting a Beauty Bush, right? Think again. Any leafy growth on my poor little Beauty Bush gets nibbled back almost as fast as it appears.  I’ve now got it wired off and will leave it that way for a few years to let it gain some height.

Another important issue to consider is where do the deer travel? Look around for deer pathways, and try to avoid planting any “borderline” plants directly on their route. Deer are creatures of habit, thus they tend to travel the same pathways.

For example, I can grow the North American native plan salal (Gaultheria shallon) in most areas of my landscape, except for a certain pathway that the deer travel everyday. Any salal along that route gets nibbled, especially the tender new growth.

Here is a complete list of deer resistant plants.