Most residents in suburbia have been there. You have been planning and dreaming for years of installing the perfect perennial garden on your property. After all the digging and cultivating is complete and the flowers are planted and watered, you get up the next morning to sit in your new garden and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee while browsing the morning headlines… when suddenly you realize, much to your dismay, something has already been browsing for breakfast in your newly planted garden. All the time you thought you were spending on your very own horticultural opus, when in fact, you were really just assembling the whitetail equivalent of an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Odocoileus virginianus, or whitetail deer to us non-biologists, have long been the arch nemesis of many gardeners in suburban and rural areas. For years the war has been fought between man and beast on battlefields of lush manicured sod and flowing hills of both native and exotic plants.
Too Much of a Good Thing? In 1909, the State of New Jersey estimated that less than a hundred herds of whitetail deer existed throughout the entire state. Now, New Jersey reports more than 160,000 herds share the tiny state, many of which roam areas heavily populated by people. Much milder winters, suburban garden buffets, lack of predators and the inability for man to hunt the whitetail in heavily populated communities are all compounding factors leading to negative economic impacts and a potentially dangerous environmental situation.
With regards to the environment, in many woodland areas whitetail deer are responsible for all but completely eradicating some species of wildflowers from their native habitats, and so extensively damaging the natural understory growth in forested areas, that some native birds are losing important feeding and breeding habitats. Even chipmunks, squirrels and other woodland rodents are in competition with the deer for acorns, nuts and berries. Who would have ever thought of Bambi as some type of woodland bully?
Defense Wins Games. So, we are still left with the question: How can landscape contractors successfully rid clients of these endearing doe-eyed harbingers of horticulture death? Obviously, full-contact sports and gardening have very little in common if anything at all, however contractors may have a few things to learn from this proactive defensive mentality.
First there is fencing in its many incarnations. After all is said and done, there are hundreds of fencing solutions to deter whitetail deer from entering your garden but only two completely effective means of fencing to keep deer away from your plants entirely. The first method is to erect a fence no less than 8 feet high along the perimeter of your yard or garden plot. Whitetail deer have been measured jumping vertically at up to15 feet. There are several manufacturers of reasonably priced fencing materials that are suitable for this specific purpose, but you must approach the project as sort of a long-term investment in your spiritual well-being as these undertakings can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars to install. Second, a gardener may install a series of fenced in plots that include tops to completely enclose your precious horticultural livestock. Neither of these fencing solutions need be altogether unattractive, but the more elaborate or “invisible” your fencing design becomes, the higher the installation price rises.
Next on the list of whitetail defenses is the use of repellents. Most repellents that are available to the home gardener are either taste repellents or odor repellents and they can be either organic or chemical. Repellents work best if applied liberally, or as directed on the label in the case of chemicals, before the damage has started. If it rains shortly after your application, most gardeners with experience in this area would agree that all bets are off. Furthermore, during a drought or after a tough winter desperate deer are prone to eat just about anything, sprayed or not, for them it is a matter of survival.
Finally the most effective form of defense against deer is to stick with the mantra: “The right plant for the right place.” By remembering that little phrase, contractors can save themselves work, time and money. Try to plant deer-resistant materials in your gardens every time you plant, and you will start to notice the deer are going to your neighbor’s house to eat more often.
(Resources: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, Lymealliance.org, Whitetaildeer.com and Atlantic Highlands Herald)
The author, Jay Gruen, is a landscape design and construction consultant and owner of Eclectic Exteriors Landscape Designs. He has 12 years of experience in the green industry and can be reached at jay.gruen@verizon.net.