Deer

With estimated populations of deer increasing every year throughout the country, their natural predators decreasing in number and their natural habitat being continually destroyed by human development, expect to have an ongoing deer predation problem. Here are some suggestions that will work for some of you some of the time, but not for all of you all the time. The tactic for best deer control is to anticipate their damage and head them off with one or a combination of the suggestions in this article.

Diversify Plant Selections. As a nation, we have a love for certain plant species, many of which turn out to be on the deer population’s hit list of favorites: arborvitae, yews, tulips, fruit trees (crabapples, peach, apple, etc.), petunias and just about any vegetable garden medley. While the total abandonment of these and other such species are not recommended, serious thought should be given to species diversification in plant selection. Why? Like humans, deer have a preference list for consumption.
A wildlife specialist told me that deer and rabbits would never graze on Colorado spruce. I took that as gospel until it was witnessed the grazing taking place on just those plants in the landscape.
Given a variety of plants that would be classed as a “low priority” for the deer, damage from their grazing can then at least be limited. For a list of these plants in your location, contact the county extension office to get hooked up with a university horticulturist who should be able to provide a list of probable selections that would be adaptable to your area.  
The following is a scattering of plant materials that I have observed being left alone where deer predation is evident in the immediate area.

Trees: Holly, oak, pine, spruce, sweetgum, and black walnut;

Shrubs: Juniper, Oleander, Rhodendron, Rosemary, Shrub Cinquefoil, Cactus, Yucca, Forsythia, Spirea, Lilac;

Herbaceous Plants: Bugleweed (Ajuga spp.), myrtle (Vinca spp.), bells of Ireland, Canterbury bell, daffodil, daylily, yarrow, Russian sage, hollyhock, bee balm (Monarda spp.) and Verbena.
In some instances, deer may come and sample one of these and other recommended species, then leave them alone. Personal experiences had me alter some of my landscape plantings.  
Finding it impossible to grow tulips due to predation, and noting that plantings of daffodils went untouched, I reset the tulips to be intermingled with the daffodil bulbs.
When the tulips begin showing as the daffodils are beginning to decline, they are left alone to express their long-awaited beauty.
Keep in mind that just about any freshly installed plant material will pretty much attract deer and rabbit populations in the area. Give the plant material protection for several years with some of the following suggestions until they can get big enough to sustain a curiosity nibble from our hoofed and furry visitors.

PRODUCTS. Commercial products containing capsaicin, garlic, ammonium soaps of higher fatty acids, dried blood meal and/or rotten eggs will work if applied before feeding starts, are reapplied according to label directions, and starvation is not at a do or die level. L&L

The author is horticulturist and turfgrass specialist at North Dakota State University.