Deer Resistent Shrubs and Flowers (garden, eat, land)

[Summering]

I have lost so many shrubs and plants its horrible.......
Too many deer resistant do not fit that bill. They will eat it if they are hungry.
Forsythia they don't touch though.......some rhododendrom make it, some tall grasses.
They leave the pine trees alone, some of the scrub pines, spreading yews....Bayberry....
Fencing does not help, they will jump it. I thought I did well putting up fence and the next day....
one was in there.

[rcb1966]

When food is scarce, those hooved woodland rats will eat just about anything. I never had them eat any hollies until this year. They love Hydrangea & arborvitaes. The state also puts out a pamphlet on deer resistant plant check out the DCNR site for that info.

[LIMAMA4]

Hi Summering,

I know what you mean about jumping the fences. My father-in-law has had that happen. It is amazing what tight spaces those deer can get themselves into if they are hungry enough! What about plox? I'm thinking of a nice rock garden with some plox for alittle color.

[gypsiechavi]

Two words. Liquid Fence. I swear by the stuff. Lived in the Poconos for 6+ years where the deer would knock on my front door every morning. I couldn't find one thing they wouldn't eat that I wanted to plant. Heard about Liquid Fence at Werkheiser in Tannersville and was able to plant and enjoy honeysuckle, begonias, petunias, tomatoes, raspberries, roses, lilies, etc. I had no more rabbit, deer, fox, cat, possum problems. As a matter of fact, I have a beautiful garden with lettuce in it growing right now. I spray the plants with Liquid Fence and not one animal bothers them. I like it because it is all natural, easy to use and inexpensive. Fences, red pepper, hair, soap....none of that worked. Moved from PA two years ago and luckily enough I was able to purchase it online. My neighbors cannot get over the fact I can have a vegetable garden and not one animal gobbles it up.

[LidaA]

Anybody uses this service?
http://deertechusa.com/index.htm
One of my friends got it with his house from old owners. They paid for 2 years and he got it for free. He says - it works!!! He has a lot plants and NO problems with deers at all.

[kinpa]

Thats right gypsie, that is what I was talking about. But I think I could only use it on flowers and shrubs- it stinks soooo bad!

[Irish Eyes]

The liquid fence does work and it does stink to high heaven. After leaving our rhododendron alone for a couple of years they ate it down to the ground. They were working on the holly until we fenced it. A good bet is to go with things that lose their leaves in the winter because they will eat anything during that time. My lilac has survived. Burning Bushes are also great. They're hardy and grow quickly so even if they nibble them they don't destroy them. I spray both with the liquid fence when we leave on the weekend. The holly I had to fence this year for the winter. Boxwood also does well. They also won't eat daffodils if you want to do bulbs - that's the one thing I have that's turned out to be true!

[kinpa]

Also some people swear by lining the whole garen with marigolds and mums- but I have never tried it and I would think the deer would just step on or over the marigolds to get to the plants.

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Originally Posted by gypsiechavi

Two words. Liquid Fence. I swear by the stuff. Lived in the Poconos for 6+ years where the deer would knock on my front door every morning. I couldn't find one thing they wouldn't eat that I wanted to plant. Heard about Liquid Fence at Werkheiser in Tannersville and was able to plant and enjoy honeysuckle, begonias, petunias, tomatoes, raspberries, roses, lilies, etc. I had no more rabbit, deer, fox, cat, possum problems. As a matter of fact, I have a beautiful garden with lettuce in it growing right now. I spray the plants with Liquid Fence and not one animal bothers them. I like it because it is all natural, easy to use and inexpensive. Fences, red pepper, hair, soap....none of that worked. Moved from PA two years ago and luckily enough I was able to purchase it online. My neighbors cannot get over the fact I can have a vegetable garden and not one animal gobbles it up.

I have used liquid fence on my trees and shrubs and it worked very well. I would be very hesitant to use it on vegetables and edible things. If I ever another veggie garden I would use of fence or keep the stuff on the deck.

[Summering]

Its just hard to use the liquid fence is you take a bunch of vacations or head away in the winter.
I came home one winter to my two front trees totally eaten..........They were ones that were "deer safe" I wasn't home to spray them. Plus, the one deer was so friendly.......If she was that hungry, then I hope those two trees sustained her. Seems they did.
I put up a fence and my neighbor laughed.......Oh yes, all around my flowers out by the big boulder.....Then I saw why he would laugh. The next morning a deer was in that area chomping down.
Our daughter saw a deer get fatalily hurt by trying to get over one of the fences with those spikes on the top.......She lived in an area of few deer too. Using that type of fencing would be too risky for me.......I couldn't stand to see something like that happen.
In Penn Estates I had to keep all my plants in containers on the deck.
Even putting them on the steps didn't work. That just made it easier for the deer to get at.
A good flower to grow is the day lily........Have you seen the wild orange day lilies on the sides of roads, they don't touch them. There is also a shrub with the little white bell flowers on them......
They don't go near those either ( forgetting the name)......
Right now I have just about no deer problem, but a huge bunny problem. They have loved many of the flowers I have planted............One day in full bloom, next day...........gone.