We have a Problem — Deer

In many parts of the country it's not uncommon during the Spring and Summer to find signs of Bambi, and/or his relations, in and around your garden or property. In the United States it is estimated that the deer population has almost tripled since the early 1980's. Although their diet normally consists of grasses, deer will sometimes turn to larger leaved shrubs or plants during hot dry weather when grasses tend to dry and turn brown. This is due to the fact that the deer need the moisture and nutrients dry dead grasses no longer provide. It may be one of the reasons you suddenly find the telltale evidence of roughly torn leaves, shrubs and branches in your garden and surrounding landscape. (Roughly torn leaves and branches could tend to indicate a deer, as opposed to some other pest, since deer have no upper front teeth and leave a ripped or torn appearance to the plants they've been dining on.)

Many books and the Internet are filled with numerous methods of how to stop deer from chowing down on your valuable garden plants and landscaping. These plans range from tying cans to your fence to hanging bags of tiger dung from your trees. Where one method may work well for one person, the same method can prove completely ineffective for another. Deer are adaptive creatures and will often learn how to get around various barriers or deterrents — especially if they are hungry. Region, deer population, and weather; all can effect the success and failure of these various deer thwarting practices.

Barriers and fencing can keep deer out of a particular area. Deer can jump high, so your fence should be 8 to 12 feet tall. Where they can jump high, deer are not as good at jumping depth. If you already have an existing fence, but it's not high enough, you may consider running another wire 2-3 feet off the ground, a foot or two outside the perimeter of your existing fence. They may not be able to cover the distance if they have to jump over both.

One of the best methods is to comprise your garden and landscaping of plants deer don't like. Many of the most commonly planted flora appeal to deer appetites, but there are a number of equally attractive and accessible plants and shrubs which do not. Some of the plants seemingly most popular with deer are: arborvitae, azaleas, coneflowers, daylilies, hemlock, mountain laurel, oak-leaf hydrangea, plantain-lily; tulips, yew, and roses. Although there are different varieties of these plants which may be less enticing. Below is a list of some of the hardier plants and shrubs which do not attract the damaging appetites of deer.

If deer are a potential problem for you then you may want to consider plants that won't tempt their tastebuds. You can get more information and help planning by contacting the professionals at Upgrade Landscape Design. Upgrade can design your landscape so it will be a treat to the eye, not to deer.