| | Gardening with Deer Information
Deer Tips
A few local tips from Chris Kennedy, MCH
Written March 25, 2010
We get most questions at Kennedy's about deer feeding
on plants in late winter and early spring. Deer can survive long periods
without eating, but by late winter there is little vegetation available to them
in the wild so they become more brazen and willing to come into your yard.
Observations and feedback from customers say the most commonly eaten plants in
this area are Yews, Arborvitae, Holly (non-prickly kinds), Rhododendron, Tulips,
Hosta, and Sedums. See the info sheet below for more info. The best
defense is to landscape your yard using plants they do not like, are poisonous
to them, or hurt their mouth such as Andromeda (Pieris), Boxwood, Blue Spruce
and Daffodils. The other sure thing is to fence them out. I know you
are cringing at the thought, but an 8' fence, I'm told their leaps can clear a
6' fence, is the best way to keep deer out. Black plastic deer fencing can
be tacked to trees on the edge of the woods surrounding your house or
neighborhood. It tends to blend and is not as ugly as it sounds. The
next best thing is to make the plants they will usually eat, taste and smell
bad. To do this we suggest a deer repellent. Our customers report
"Deer Solution" brand works the best. If you option for this
solution, please realize you need to spray regularly. I am told spray at
three week intervals is the best practice. This works because every time a
deer approaches a plant they don't like how it smells and tastes. The hope
is they will go to your the neighbors yard that does not spray. You might
send this info to the neighbors you like. The rest of them will just a
have a few plants with no leaves every spring!
Below is information we found from New Jersey, but most of
these plants can be found here in New England.
Click
here
for one of the best deer resistant plant lists
or
you visit the Rutgers
website directly and peruse them by botanical name or by common name.
If you live locally, please call or email
Kennedy's with questions. | |
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