| I have a summer house on the south shore of Long Island, NY and we have a bad deer problem. I was wondering if you could give some advice on plants and shrubs I could plant that the deer will not eat. I am only a few blocks from the Atlantic ocean and Long Island Sound. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I was told I can not plant a vegatable garden because the deer would eat everything. |
| Yes, deer can certainly be a BIG problem for gardeners. There are Deer Resistant plants...actually quite a few. I'll give you just some of them. Bulbs: allium, crocus, daffodil; Perennials: artemesia, aster, coneflower, candytuft, iris, peony andphlox; Shrubs: boxwood, cotoneaster, hydrangea and lilac; Groundcovers: ajuga, ferns, pachysandra; Vines: clematis, euonymus; Trees: maple, birch, dogwood, pear, hemlock; As far as the veggies go...there's always a fence. Unfortunately deer can easily jump over it. I have had extremely good results using "Milorganite" which is a lawn fertilizer that deer find particularly offensive. I sprinkle it throughout my gardens every 2-3 weeks and haven't seen deer since I started usingit. I live in a rural area, so I think it works! You can also hang deoderant soap bars in your trees or on stakes. That is also supposed to work. The product "Deer Away", sold by Burpee, is said to be effective in repelling deer but must be reapplied every 7-10 days (you will find this true for most all repellents, the rain and dew tend to wash them away). Burpee also sells coyote urine which is effective at repelling deer. Check out the most recent catalog (if you need one call 1-800-888-1447 or visit the website) to obtain either of these products. |
