So it appears my driveway is the new path for the deer to cross the street. In previous years, I had my hanging baskets waaay out in the yard. I figured the solution would be to move them up near the house to deter the deer from munching them down to nothing. Anyway, in the last couple days I noticed that one of my baskets is indeed munched down. And this morning I was sitting here in front of the window and saw the deer cross the street into my yard. I stepped out onto the deck and my presence made them keep on going.
But, I’m wondering…if I boiled water with a handful of crushed red pepper, and then watered the baskets with that, would it keep the deer from munching? What other solutions are there?
My aunt had great luck with motion activated sprinklers designed specifically as deer deterents. I know little about them; that link is just the first google result, but she loved them. Good luck.
One of my friends keeps bars of soap scattered on the ground of his property. When I asked him, he claimed it kept the deer away. My friends are not exactly known for being the most honest people however.
There have been a few studies done about deer repellents (I researched this because of similar problems in my garden)
Putrescent whole egg solids (fancy speak for rotten eggs) seems to be the most effective repellent. That is the main ingredient in Liquid Fence and Deer Off.
I make my own. You can google recipes or try mine
Mix 2-3 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk. Add to empty milk jug. Chop/Mince up a clove or two of gralic and add to same jug. Add something like your crushed red pepper or tabasco sauce etcc. Add tablespoon of vegetable oil and tablespoon of dish soap. Add enough water to fill jug.
Shake to mix and add to spray bottle. I generally shake again before I spray (I’m sure the store brands use fancier emulsifiers so you don’t have to shake). THe formula has worked well for me.
The soap method is a real method Seren. I have never seen the results, and the soap has to be something like Irish Spring. Apparently it’s manly, and women like it too, but the deer don’t.
Deer will eat anything when hungry, even stinky and bad tasting. The motion devices startle them for a while, but they will stop running if they find they never get hurt.
Try sicking a Schnauzer on them.
Wire your hanging baskets to an electric fencer. I’m serious. So long as the baskets are hanging insulated from the ground and there’s wire on the basket, it should work and keep the deer from eating the hanging baskets. You could wrap a bare wire down the hanger if it’s plastic. You don’t need it on when they won’t come around, like when you’re outside watering or doing some garden work.
A friend of ours told us to spray soapy water on the plants. Wilting ensued. But the sliver of soap in the basket sounds cheap and easy! And wilt-proof.
Okay…with the soap…can I use some of those useless little rose-shaped decorative soaps or do I have to do an Irish Spring/Dial offensively strong scent?
Soap, human hair (tie it in some old nylons and hang it around your plants - people get it from the hairdresser) , rotten eggs, and my own favorite - blood meal. Blood meal is a good fertilizer and the smell of it keeps deer away. Its expensive, though.