If you live somewhere where deer wander through your yard or property, then you have probably been frustrated and disappointed at times that the deer can be a bit destructive to your plants.
Although a plant may be labeled as deer resistant, that doesn’t mean the deer will never browse or nibble on the plant. Sometimes deer resistant simply refers to the fact that a plant won’t die because of being browsed on by deer, but instead the plant will react to being nibbled on as a natural form of being pruned. Often deer will munch on the flowers or the new tender growth of a plant, and other times deer may just pick and choose what they decide to eat with no real rhyme or reason.
Male deer (bucks) may also visit your yard/property and rub their antlers on large bushes and smaller trees to either clean the velvet off of their antlers and or to mark their presence to other deer. This rubbing can in some case be fairly destructive to the shrubs and smaller trees.
OPTIONS FOR PROTECTING PLANTS AND TREES:
There are many options available to protect the different plants and trees in your yard, with some of the options being more permanent than others.
The most effective way to protect any of the plants, shrubs, or trees that may be affected in your yard or on your property is to use fencing. In some cases a traditional wooden privacy fence is a good option, however more times than not it is not practical to privacy fence your entire yard or property. A better and much more affordable option is to you a chicken wire or welded wire https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fencer-Wire-6-ft-x-100-ft-12-5-Gauge-Welded-Wire-Fence-with-Mesh-2-in-x-4-in-WB125-6X100M24/309742338?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-205708541-_-1-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a
That can be wrapped around the plants, bushed, or trees to form a protective barrier around them. It is important to create a barrier that still allows enough room for the plant to grow over the years. Chicken or Welded Wire and be cut to size and easily attached to stakes to accommodate small or large areas. In most cases after a few years, the wire can be taken down once the plants, bushes, and trees are large enough to resist some browsing and rubbing from deer.
Another method that can be used with mixed success is a form of odor repellent. There are many commercially sold options for deer repellent and there are also options that can be found on the internet to make your own at home. These repellants will need to in most cases be sprayed on the plants and usually need to be reapplied fairly often depending on weather conditions and how persistent the deer are.
Some people have had success with Ultrasonic devices, motion activated lights, hanging noisy or flashy yard art in the area that the plants are that deer seem to be attracted to. Intermingling plants in the yard and landscape that deer are known to avoid such as Barberry, Russian Sage, Lavender, Echinacea, Chives, Holly, along with many others that deer are notoriously known to avoid or flat out dislike.
Talk with neighbors and nearby landowners to see what has worked for them in your area. Sometimes it just may be best to accept that the deer are going to make their way through our landscapes and sometimes we will need to replace certain plants, bushes, or even trees over the years.