Over the years, I have tried various methods for keeping the deer from eating my prized plants, but nothing has proven 100% successful. \u00a0Then again, I’ve never gone the electric fence route of the you-pick-veggie-garden that I frequented while living in Libby, Montana, either. \u00a0Yes, people resort to electricity where the game is big and plentiful. \u00a0Short of that, here are some tips that might help you stave off the animals from chomping on your garden plants:<\/strong><\/p>\n Although high fences might help, don’t be surprised if they are breeched. \u00a0It is common to see mule deer jump a six foot high fence, and that’s the story of\u00a0how I lost a 1\/3 of an acre garden in just two days. \u00a0Although the fence will help, you will still need to protect your plants on an individual level, \u00a0whether you decide to use physical barriers or liquid deterrents.<\/p>\n Don’t worry how your fencing\u00a0looks. \u00a0Chicken wire and found wood or metal stakes will do the job nicely.<\/strong> \u00a0Physical barriers can make it difficult to weed unless it’s removable\/portable. \u00a0\u00a0However, if you don’t properly secure the chicken wire to the wood or mount it firmly in the ground, the contraption will take out the whole plant for you on its way down, when the deer (or wind) is determined.<\/p>\n My personal preference is to create strong physical barriers around trees and bushes with chicken wire, because I do not need to access them as frequently. \u00a0When you remove the barrier in the Autumn to do trimming, remember to put it back up! \u00a0Autumn grazing can kill your plant so that it will never come back! \u00a0We lost a beautiful rose topiary to deer just last year from Autumn grazing and this Spring, it wouldn’t revive.<\/p>\n For best results:<\/strong><\/p>\n The toxic ick you buy in the store is poisonous to pets and wild animals alike and should be illegal. \u00a0There are so many effective essential oils and homemade ingredients<\/strong> that can keep rabbits and deer at bay, that there is no need for something harmful.<\/p>\n This is the first year this strategy of spraying my plants has worked for me at all, but it is not working perfectly because of my inconsistency in applying my nasty-smelling concoction to my plants. \u00a0I wasn’t convinced they worked at all, so I left one tomato plant unsprayed, and here are the results:<\/p>\n When you first apply deterrents, you should apply them everyday for about 3-5 days, and then weekly after that, and again with rain.<\/strong> \u00a0I personally stop spraying when food is present<\/strong>, like tomatoes or zucchini on the vines. \u00a0Another reason this does not work perfectly, I’m certain. \u00a0Although the spray is all natural, I do not want to risk the bacteria added with my concoction (which has rotten eggs in it), and I don’t want to alter the flavors of my veggies with things like the thyme oil. \u00a0 There is any number of ingredients to use, such as hot pepper spray. \u00a0If you use something other than this, would you leave a comment for others? \u00a0Thanks!<\/p>\n My recipe:<\/strong><\/p>\n Mix two raw eggs (they can be broken ones from the coop) in a quart\u00a0of water and leave out in the sun for 24 hours. \u00a0The next day, add 3-4 drops of thyme essential oil and a pinch of garlic powder. \u00a0Strain out the egg chunks to keep it from clogging your spray bottle. \u00a0Put this in a specially-marked spray bottle, and hold your nose!<\/p>\n Do you do home haircuts?<\/strong> \u00a0Collect the hair and sprinkle it along the perimeter of your garden! \u00a0Although I’ve never tried it, I bet you could be the weird gardener who asks the local beauty shop for theirs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If gardening only yielded 25% of my efforts like the above poem, I think I’d be too discouraged to continue. \u00a0The permacultural attitude of still planting for the animals is a valid and effective one, however. \u00a0One of our prettiest trees has a berry that, although edible, we don’t enjoy at our house (Chokecherry). \u00a0We prefer to make that our donation to the beautiful birds that grace it.<\/p>\nPhysical Barriers<\/h2>\n
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Liquid Barriers (Deterrents)<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Location Strategy as a Barrier<\/h2>\n
One for the blackbird,<\/em><\/h6>\n
One for the mouse,<\/em><\/h6>\n
One for the rabbit,<\/em><\/h6>\n
And one for the house.<\/em><\/h6>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0–Author Unknown<\/em><\/h6>\n