Deer are the often gardener’s worst enemy, which is why they need to explore the 6 Easiest, Cheapest and Most Effective Deer Fencing Alternatives For your Garden. These creatures may look sweet and innocent, but they’re some of the most destructive in the agricultural world. Building a deer fence is an obvious way to ward off these pests, but to some that just sounds like too much work. So instead of giving up your garden completely (for lack of a fence), your garden can flourish, and maybe you can even plant some of the 10 High Margin Agricultural Products To Grow.
tratong/Shutterstock.com
There are many solutions to the ever-present problem of deer, so let’s look at the 6 Easiest, Cheapest and Most Effective Deer Fencing Alternatives For Your Garden.
6. Get a dog (or other protective animal)
On a popular gardening website, one gardener says “In my own garden, my dog Mason is the ultimate frightening device. He sleeps outside near the garden, keeping a vigilant watch for intruders. He sometimes frightens me from a sound sleep when he barks at a rustling in the bushes. But the deer seem to know he’s around, and they have yet to come within 100 feet of the house.” Another gardener says that pigs are a great solution. He states the reason to be is that pigs resemble bears, which easily frighten away any intruders. Donkeys or guinea hens may also frighten them away.
5. Use deterrents (of smell and/or taste)
There are many pre-packaged deer deterrents and repellents available for purchase such as Sweeney’s Deer Repellents or Garlic Clips.Sulfur compounds can also be bought, and though you might hate the smell of these substances around your garden, you’ll see why deer hate it too. Or, gardeners may use their own remedies. Scents and tastes of garlic and rotten eggs are said to work effectively against deer. Animal stools or urine also repels. Coyote urine can be bought at most garden centers (who knew?). Human hair, black pepper oil, soup, dirty socks and fabric softener sheets serve as other deterrents.
4. Don’t plant what they like
Deer are said to be attracted to plants such as cedar, hardy geranium, sea holly, yew, lily, and hosta. They are also drawn to berry and fruit trees like elderberry, cherry, plum and snowberry trees. Although this may seem like an obvious tip in the 6 Easiest, Cheapest and Most Effective Deer Fencing Alternatives For Your Garden, gardeners seeking to repel deer may be unknowingly attracting them by having these plants in their yard.
3. Plant what they don’t like.
Unfortunately, these animals eat most any plant, but there are some they dislike more than others. Naturally, deer are resistant to thorn bushes like hawthorn, buckthorn, and locust. Other plants they dislike are lilac, paper birch, blue spruce, flowering dogwood, mint, coneflower, bleeding heart, marigolds and sage. Planting this foliage outside or surrounding your garden, as well as throughout it, should keep them away.
Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock.com
2. Use detectors.
Bright motion detector lights can be placed inside a garden to ward off creatures at night. Some sprinkler systems can also be programmed to set off when they detect movement. Give your intruder an unwelcome gift upon its arrival.
1. Build a fence that’s not a real fence.
If you want to avoid the hassle of building an out-and-out fence, you can more easily craft a makeshift one using simple, at-home tools. Fishing line is said to be especially effective, adding in a confusion factor since the deer can feel it but not see it. Certain types of string and twine, like sisal string and polypropylene baling twine, also work. String these materials up across already in-place trees, and there you have it.
Clearly, there is a variety of solutions to unwelcome creatures, namely deer, in a garden. From simple plants to high-tech detectors, shew the deer away for miles with the 6 Easiest, Cheapest and Most Effective Deer Fencing Alternatives For your Garden.
