DEAR IRIS: Strategies for preventing deer damage

By Aleta Mottet, Jefferson County Master Gardener

Most deer damage occurs in the late fall through early spring, when the animals natural food sources are scarce. A mature buck consumes between 4 to 10 pounds of food each day, including grass and other plants as well as buds and twigs.

Deer are creatures of habit; once they establish a pathway or a feeding area it's difficult to deter them.

Deer are adaptable and learn quickly. Using a combination of control strategies usually is the most effective way to limit the amount of damage they cause. Although no plant is 100 percent deer prove, there are many that are generally avoided by deer.

If you live in the country, you can protect your trees or beds with 8- to 10-foot fencing, but this can be costly.

There are several available products to repel deer (check your local nursery), but you need to apply them in early spring before the deer get into the habit of eating your landscape.

Some people report success by hanging bars of perfumed soap or bags of human hair gathered from your neighborhood hair saloon.

Deer are also easily startled so using a motion detector to trigger a sprinkler or a flood light will work for a short time so try to vary between the scare devices.

Selecting deer-resistant plants can reduce the amount of damage however no plant is deer-proof. In general plants that taste bitter or spicy, those with milky sap, thorny plants and those with hairy or fuzzy leaves are less attractive to deer. Following, I have listed some plants that are considered unattractive to deer:

Artemisia, Catmint, Ferns, Lenten Rose, Peony, Veronica, Asters, Columbine, Foxglove, Liatris, Potentilla, Yarrow, Astilbe, Clematis, Gaillardia, Lily of the Valley, Russian Sage, Bee Balm, Cora Bells, Geranium, Lupine, Salvia, Bleeding Heart, Coreopsis, Iris, Milkweed (helps Monarchs), Sedum, Butterfly Bush, Echinacea, Lavender, Penstemon, Spiderwort.

I live in the country and have most of these in my flower beds and have not had any problems with the deer bothering them. But as we all know there are no guarantees.

NOTE: The Jefferson County Master Gardeners are providing a monthly column, named 'Dear Iris,” for The Fairfield Ledger readers. 'Dear Iris” is scheduled to be in the paper the first Wednesday of each month. The Master Gardeners will be providing information about horticulture and answering questions from readers. Questions can be sent to The Ledger at PO Box 110, Fairfield 52556, emailed to lifestyles@ffledger.com or dropped off at the office, 114 E. Broadway Ave. Include your name and contact information in case the Master Gardeners need more information.

For information about the Jefferson County Master Gardeners and how to become a Master Gardener, call the Jefferson County ISU Extension office at 472-4166.