Oh Deer!

Added on: July 5, 2009 @ 12:31 pm

I, like most of America, planted a vegetable garden this year. So far, I’ve had arm loads of squash and zucchini, more cucumbers than I (and all of the Stranges staff) can eat, a few peppers, and lots of green tomatoes. I love tomatoes! I venture out to the garden twice a day to check on their progress. Not one is turning yet but man are they loaded. I’m so excited! Until….

They found me! This is my beautiful grape tomato. It is now two feet shorter and 100 green tomatoes less than it used to be. The deer are prevalent in my neighborhood, but they’ve left my gardens alone until now. If you also have experienced this , I feel for you and I’d like to give you a few tips to deter deer and other animals.

Deer repellent products like Deer Off, Deer Scram, and Liquid Fence are highly effective and easy to use (http://www.strangesgardencenter.com/content.asp?contentid=223) . There are also repellent plants. I have had success with an herb Coleus caninus or commonly known as Dog Gone (read about it at www.herbherbert.com). When you touch the plant a skunk like odor is given off. It was recommended to me when I had deer trouble in my strawberry bed. So far it seems to have worked. It is in each corner of my strawberry bed, and in two of the four corners of my gardens. Everywhere they are, the deer aren’t. I should have done all four corners and maybe my grape tomatoes would have gotten passed over.

Its kind of pretty with those lavender flowers, just don’t brush up against it!
Send me your success/failure stories, questions, comments, etc.