Tops of Tomato & Pepper Plants Lopped Off - Why?

[Gardener123]

I just went out to harvest some tomatoes and I noticed that the tops of the tomato plants, and the tops of my pepper plants look like someone took a knife and sliced the tops of the plants off. I have tons of deer nearby but they never seem to be near the garden, plus the edges are so clearly defined that it doesn't appear to me that they have been chewed.... I'll get a picture so you can get a better idea.

[applestar]

Could be hornworm(s). Any sign of fras/dark or light green droppings?

[Gardener123]

I don't know, but I will look tomorrow.

[Cola82]

My boyfriend's mother actually just sent me photos today of the pepper plants I'd given her--all eaten down to the stem by deer. I wouldn't be surprised.

[digitS']

I wouldn't be surprised about the deer, either.

They haven't eaten pepper plants that I can remember but they have gone thru and "sheared" tomato plants. Not only that, they have pulled green fruits off the plants, crushed and dropped them on the ground.

The experts tell us that there really seems to be no plants that deer won't, at least, sample. It is far better to NOT have them near our garden plants.

Steve

[erins327]

Maybe a caterpillar? Seems like ones I catch on mine will eat whole leaves and baby stems like that.

[Northernfox]

Ghost peppers or scorpion peppers are great!! You don't eat the fruit but you can use the dried and powdered stuff as pepper spray. The deer and other critters will stay away. That said if you have kids not a good IDEa !! Cages might be better my mother in law built something for her raised beds that might work.

I can't figure out how to link from my Facebook page I put it on. PM me if you want to see it. But essentially it is a horizontal frame with plastic tubing making an arch and chicken wire on top. The whole thing is on hinges and super easy to lift assuming you have thumbs.

[Gardener123]

Pm sent.

Just to be sure, I put coyote urine around my garden today.... My neighbor swears by it for keeping deer away.

[Northernfox]

That would be interesting to know !! I have a funny feeling like application may have to be on a regular basis.

Second thought. Who collects the urine ...

[Gardener123]

Turns out it was definitely the deer. I ran out and chased them away today.... They ruined at least half of my harvest..... Next year I am making it so they can't get to my plants. It was so depressing since I grew most of my stuff from seed this year. They were in absolutely great shape until the deer came.

[rainbowgardener]

Deer are beautiful animals, but a terror in the garden. If you grow in beds, it is easy to cage each bed in individually with deer netting. If I didn't do that, I would never get to taste a tomato and I don't even have deer in my garden, just stuff like raccoons and groundhogs. It's kind of a pain because then you have to open up the cage to weed, harvest etc, but it is better than growing tomatoes just to feed the critters.