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Best Advice to Deal with Deer
by Rick Abrahamson, November 14, 2005
Articles & Publications

With hunting season well under way many hunters have tracked and defeated the ever popular white-tail deer.  Even with the successes of this years hunting season one fact will remain; deer will continue to be a problem in our gardens.  In Fargo there is a group of homeowners trying to persuade the city to allow a bow hunting season to reduce herd populations in along the river.  I receive many calls each year on what to do about deer that are eating landscape plants.  This question has proven to be a very difficult one to answer.  Having just read an article in the latest edition of American Nurseryman it is apparent why my advice to handling deer problems is not sufficient. 

Usually I suggest sprays of rotting eggs, hot pepper, and fencing to deter deer from feeding on landscape plants.  According to horticulturists at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens the best solution is plant selecting.  I suppose they have some experience with selecting plants that certain animals will not eat, so we should listen to their advice.  They indicated that homeowners avoid the use of purple wintercreeper, daylilies, Hosta, Impatiens, perennial phlox, rose species, yew, arborvitae, and tulip as these plants deer just love. 

The chart below outlines plant selections that should be made and those that should not be made if you have deer browsing problems in your garden.  I suggest taking the chart along to your local garden center.

The Chart of Plant Selections (PDF:  34 KB / 1 page) is available in the Portable Document Format (PDF).  To view and print the PDF version, you need the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader software.

The successful selection of plant materials for the landscape can effectively prevent deer damage.  However, deer change over time and so do the plants they enjoy eating. 

More information on horticultural or agricultural topics can be found by visiting us online 24 hours a day on the Extension, Clay County web site, which is updated often, or by calling the Clay County Horticultural Hotline at 218.299.7225 or 1.800.299.5020 or by e-mail.  Feel free to send me any feedback about my articles or our web site.

Upcoming Events of Interest
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November 16 - Outlook Conference for Ag Lenders - Fargo, ND

November 16 - Dynamic Farmers’ Market Conference - Staples, MN

November 16-18 - Certificate in Festival and Event Management - Fargo, ND

November 18 - MN Lamb and Wool Producers Annual Conference - Fergus Falls, MN

November 21-22 - Crop Pest Management Short Course - St. Paul, MN

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Last updated September 02, 2010.