how to keep deer eating everything in the vegetable garden?

[barnercora]

You folks are making me drool and envy reading all the post about pantry full of goodies. Now if someone can give me an advice on how to keep deer eating everything in the vegetable garden I am most grateful.

Have tried in the past hair, gum ,soap, manure, someone give me a recipe with lots hot pepper mix and spray on plants, that didn't work. Put a 5 ft. wire around the garden, still manage to get in,any advice everyone?????..I am very frustrated here

Thanks,
Cora

[applestar]

Barnercora, I've split your post from the Tomato Forum thread https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21154

I expect you'll get better response regarding deer prevention here.

[rainbowgardener]

Deer are the gardener's nemesis! They are beautiful creatures, but an absolute menace in the garden.

Have you tried deer netting? (The same stuff is sometimes sold as bird netting). Very light, thin, but strong. I use it to fence in my raised beds. (I don't actually have deer, so I can't give any personal guarantees about how it works. I use it against the raccoons, groundhogs, etc). I just put up stakes all around the edge of the bed and wrap the netting around the stakes (and over the top). That way the netting isn't touching any of the fruits/ veggies you are protecting.

It's a bit of a pain since it means to weed, harvest, etc you have to unwrap the netting, but if I didn't do it, I would never eat anything from the garden. I would be more willing to share with the animals, if they would share with me!

[Pineville]

I too have a major problem with deer- a herd of 10-15 regularly walks through a field in my backyard. That number dwindles by the end of hunting season, but is back in the 10-15 range after the fawns are born in the spring.

I have a 4' high split rail fence surrounding a 30' x 60' vegetable/herb/flower garden. While deer can easily jump a 4' fence, this is enough of a deterrent to keep them out. You could also try your wire fence with taller posts (8'). Plastics banding attached at 12" intervals will deter the deer. Farmers use this material above the wire sections of fence, (electrified and non-electrified) available at farm supply stores.

Another trick I have found that works well is to surround the plants that the deer like with plants that they don't like. Russian Sage, Lavender, Monarda, and Yarrow work well to repel deer.

[barnercora]

Barnercora, I've split your post from the Tomato Forum thread https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21154

I expect you'll get better response regarding deer prevention here.

Thanks for moving it here .

to: rainbowgardener and Pineville, thank you for for the advices.

Cora

[guardianfyre]

I'm not sure if this actually works (I plan on trying it on the garden I'm planting this year), but I've heard that bloodmeal will cause deer to shy away from gardens that it's used in. As an added bonus, it acts as a natural high nitrogen fertilizer. I have a small herd of deer (a matriarch and her offspring, about 5 deer in all) that frequent my backyard that I'm hoping to keep away from my veggies and flowers.

[cynthia_h]

Here's a thread from not so long ago (just before Christmas) with a photo of a "critter-resistant" fence.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=104449

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[cynthia_h]

And here's the one I was *really* looking for, from last summer:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=98170 (photo is on page 2)

Cynthia

[tomf]

This is my garden it has an black fence the deer do not see well so the do not try to jump it. On the bottom is a metal fence to keep out the rabbits. You can see the gate, I can get a tractor in it.

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/twistedtomf/garden_DSC0003.jpg[/img]

[barnercora]

I am very thankful on everyone's idea and different solutions on how to keep the deers out of the garden . Now if it just stop raining and warms up I could get hubby to start the job



Cora

[DanaRae]

Think you got your answer fence that is the only thing that works.

[AIP]

I too have a major problem with deer- a herd of 10-15 regularly walks through a field in my backyard. That number dwindles by the end of hunting season, but is back in the 10-15 range after the fawns are born in the spring.

I have a 4' high split rail fence surrounding a 30' x 60' vegetable/herb/flower garden. While deer can easily jump a 4' fence, this is enough of a deterrent to keep them out. You could also try your wire fence with taller posts (8'). Plastics banding attached at 12" intervals will deter the deer. Farmers use this material above the wire sections of fence, (electrified and non-electrified) available at farm supply stores.

Another trick I have found that works well is to surround the plants that the deer like with plants that they don't like. Russian Sage, Lavender, Monarda, and Yarrow work well to repel deer.

I live close to bucks county and we also have a nice sized herd that moves through our yard.

I faought them for years but last year put up a 4 foot fence around the garden. This really did the trick. As for the rest of the yard I just gave in and planted stuff that will not eat.

[a0c8c]

4 feet works for some people, but some need taller than that. My brother in law and his wife need 6 foot fences to keep the deer out so that's what I'll be gettig for my garden next year(we're moving this summer so no veggies for me )

[Glenda]

Does anyone know if deer will eat Snowball bushes and Hydrangeas ?

[Kisal]

Welcome, Glenda! It's nice to have you with us!

Deer think hydrangeas and snowball bushes are yummy.