NDGF Doug Leier garden fence keeping wildlife out
By Doug Leier
l’ve never been mistaken as a master gardener, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I can borrow the neighbor’s tiller and work up a patch of soil, but somewhere between turning dirt and planting the first spuds, my enthusiasm tends to fade.
That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the dedication of North Dakota gardeners. For many, summer is measured not in hours, but in weeks and months – from the first radish pulled from the soil to the last tomato picked before frost. There’s pride in that process, and rightfully so.
Along with that pride, however, often comes frustration.
Every growing season I hear from folks about damage caused by deer and other wildlife helping themselves to garden fare. Tender beans nipped off overnight. Peas stripped from the vine. Young apple trees browsed back to bare stems. It can be discouraging.
While there’s no silver bullet when it comes to wildlife damage, there are ways to minimize problems. I won’t promise a cure-all – wildlife management rarely offers guarantees – but a little planning goes a long way.
If your goal is to protect your garden at all costs, the most effective deterrent is an 8-foot-high, fully enclosed fence made of mesh or chicken wire. Deer are remarkable athletes, capable of
clearing lower fences with ease. An 8-foot barrier is generally tall enough to discourage most attempts.
A less expensive option is dividing your garden into smaller subplots surrounded by four-strand smooth wire. Deer can jump that type of fence, but they are less inclined to leap if they perceive they’ll land in a confined space. It’s not foolproof, but it can reduce browsing.
Repellents are another commonly discussed tactic. The list is long and includes homemade and commercial products made from everything from rotten eggs and blood meal to soap-on-a-rope and even human hair. Some gardeners experiment by planting vegetables deer prefer, such as beans and peas, among crops deer tend to avoid.
It’s important to remember deer have time on their side. They can investigate your garden at leisure. Repellents may work temporarily, especially when rotated, but they are seldom 100% effective – particularly when natural food sources are limited.
Deer don’t limit their appetites to vegetables. They also browse young trees, shrubs, flowers and fruit. One proactive strategy, beyond fencing, is selecting plant varieties that deer generally find less desirable.
Planning ahead – before the first green shoots emerge – is far easier than reacting after deer have discovered your hard work.
Research and observations have helped categorize plants by deer preference. While nothing short of an exclusion fence is strongly effective, these general tendencies may help reduce depredation.
Trees and shrubs deer generally prefer: apple and other fruit trees, basswood (linden), birch, bur oak, chokecherry, cotoneaster, dogwood, English ivy, green ash, hackberry, hydrangea, larch, maple, rhododendron, sandberry, serviceberry, Siberian crabapple, viburnum, weigela, white cedar (arborvitae), white pine and willows.
Trees and shrubs deer sometimes eat: Amur maple, azalea, black cherry, boxelder, bush honeysuckle, cottonwood, elm, forsythia, hazelnut, highbush cranberry, ironwood, mountain ash, oak, rose, Scotch pine, spirea, sumac, white pine and wild plum.
Trees and shrubs deer generally dislike: barberry, buffaloberry, currant (gooseberry), certain honeysuckles, juniper, lilac, mountain laurel, Nanking cherry, nannyberry, Ponderosa pine, potentilla, raspberry, Russian olive, St. John’s wort, spruce, western yellow pine, western red cedar and wormwood (artemisia).
Among perennials, deer commonly prefer crocus, daylily, hosta, hyacinth, iris, lily, phlox, rose and strawberry. They tend to avoid plants such as yarrow, allium, anemone, bleeding heart, clematis, columbine, coneflower, daffodil, ferns, goldenrod, lavender, lupine, peony, sage, thistle and yucca.
With annuals and biennials, deer often browse hollyhock, impatiens, pansy and sunflower, while typically steering clear of alyssum, begonia, dusty miller, geranium, marigold, mint, salvia, snapdragon, verbena and zinnia.
None of these lists are absolute. A hungry deer, especially during drought or harsh winters, may sample almost anything. But thoughtful plant selection, combined with physical barriers, can tilt the odds in your favor.
Gardening in North Dakota comes with its challenges – weather, soil conditions and, yes, wildlife. With realistic expectations and a bit of planning, you can still enjoy the rewards of summer without surrendering the entire harvest to four-legged visitors.
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