How can I get the deer to leave my landscaping plants alone?

Question

I USED to love deer, but now I want them all dead. I've tried every stinky spray known to man including pee, and it has not deterred the deer from eating my hosta and young apple trees. I am prevented from putting a fence up on my property by association rules. Aside from covering the plants with unsightly mesh, how can I keep these rats with legs away?

Answer 1

I've had some problems with deer too.  My problem has been more with rabbits, but occasionally I've seen deer in the garden.  I've had great results with blood meal.  Sprinkle it around your plants, dilute some in water and spray lightly on the leaves.  Any animals are offended by blood meal, I suppose because it's made from animal blood and it scares them off.  It's also a fertilizer so you get that added benefit.  You can get it at any garden center.

The best thing we have now that got rid of all our problems is a little rat terrier named Sparky.  He protects our yard like a guard dog, nothing even comes close to my plants anymore!   Best solution to the problem!

Answer 2

I used to live on a remote mountaintop accessed by a seldom-used road. The wild animals did pretty much as they dang well pleased. They feasted in yards, regardless of hair-trimmings from the local barber shop, mothballs, p**s perimeters, hot pepper spray, or other home remedies.

I am sorry that you live in an area of home owner rules. This in itself is a valuable lesson in Keeping Your Distance from Conformists, whose fear inspires them to place gags and handcuffs on their fellow man in their terror  of somebody one-upping them or daring to be different.

The only way that I ever successfully grew a vegetable garden on that mountain was to put up a mesh fence 7 feet tall...and then cover the area, too, with that same mesh. Stiff pig wire. This did not keep out the rabbits, cats, raccoons, possums, mountain beavers, small dogs, squirrels, or chipmunks, however. And the MOLES!! Finally solved the mole question by building raised beds, and before setting the raised bed down and filling it, i nailed quarter-inch mesh to the bottom, which prevented moles from getting up into the bed. However, again, there was nothing to stop the moles from climbing up the side of the raised bed and diving in...which they did.

In addition, birds and slugs were fierce competition for produce, especially strawberries and lettuces. Again, very fine mesh, all over the area, took care of the birds.

It is not easy to protect your crops from the thundering herds...but it can be done, humanely and kindly, without a bazooka. .  

Answer 3

ask a beautician to save hair cuts for u then spread these around your plants, deer don't like the human smell.  u will have to repeat this several times until the deer learn to stay away from it