Do Deer Eat Rhodies?

[NJBoy3]

More and more deer in my yard in southern NJ. They are starting to eat things they did not eat before. Bad, bad situation.

[Nell Plotts]

We had a deer problem when we lived on Bainbridge Island. Since the rhodies will be planted elsewhere I second the suggestion that you drape that fine mesh over them - two layers if possible.

We had good luck with deer scarecrows, those motion sensor sprinklers. Don't just leave them in one place as the deer get acclimated to them, move them around the yard every day or two.

Serious gardeners in my old neck of the woods constructed two fences, a low one then a higher one, around their garden. Deer can't jump both high and wide.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

We had a deer problem when we lived on Bainbridge Island. Since the rhodies will be planted elsewhere I second the suggestion that you drape that fine mesh over them - two layers if possible.

We had good luck with deer scarecrows, those motion sensor sprinklers. Don't just leave them in one place as the deer get acclimated to them, move them around the yard every day or two.

Serious gardeners in my old neck of the woods constructed two fences, a low one then a higher one, around their garden. Deer can't jump both high and wide.

Those deer sprinklers are not too efficient at -20 or even below 32 degrees. Deer are hungry 24/7 and especially in the winter; when the sprinklers are frozen and no grass to graze.

I have five three X three foot Rhodies that were decimated last winter. Two of them are starting to show some signs of life; but three do not have one leaf left. If you would surround them with the deer fencing until they grew over five foot high; then they would have the possibility of surviving even if you took down the fencing - presuming that you do not mind Rhodies that have no leaves on the first five feet. Whitetails will clean off everything below five foot high - I do not know about elk and moose.

Actually, the more sensible solution to deer and Rhodies is to replace them with Japanese Andromeda. I have Andromeda that have survived untouched along side of my destroyed Rhodies. Here is a picture of yews, a young English boxwood and a Japanese Andromeda. There is one Rhodie that is in the middle and only the bare limbs are visible - the deer ate every leaf. They also ate back the yews; what they could reach (the top was safe).

[no kudzu]

I have a friend with LOTS of money and her solution to the deer problem at her house was to have two attractive 4 ft picket fences installed about 3-4' apart. She says deer won't jump into any space they fear they can't exit easily and so far it has worked. She refused to give up on her favorite plants in the front yard and the double fence was her last possible solution. She did install a 7 ft deer fence in the back yard. BTW she and her husband had to petition and kiss the ring of her HOA to get permission for the double fence in the front yard. They also had a very expensive but attractive automatic gate installed on the driveway. All to keep the deer out of her garden. She also planted deer proof evergreens outside the double fence in an attempt to hide the double fence. Can't remember exactly what she has there now but her house looks like a fortress to me and apparently to her deer neighbors as well.