How To Keep Deer Away From Plants

Nothing is as annoying as going to water your plants and finding out that deer have been nibbling on them. This can hinder plant growth and will continue to happen until you address the problem. Understandably, many homeowners struggle with how to keep deer away from plants.

The best way to keep deer away from plants is to scatter soap, garlic oil, and hot sauce in your garden. You can also use a deer-repellent spray such as Liquid Fence, which can keep deer away from plants for up to 30 days. Install motion-activated lights to scare deer away or build a fence around your garden to keep them out.

Even placing mothballs in your garden can deter deer. Plants like marigolds and chives can naturally keep deer away from your backyard. Follow along as we explore how to keep deer away from plants without spending a fortune.

Believe it or not, you can keep deer away from plants if you crumple some bar soap and scatter it around them. The deer will be put off by the scent of the soap and will leave your plants alone. Less is more with this method, as deer have an extraordinary sense of smell.

You don’t need to use a whole bar of soap, and even the smallest amount should keep the deer away. This can take some experimentation, so you may have to try different amounts of soap. Try using a potato peeler to remove evenly sized strips of the soap that you can crumble up and scatter around the plants.

Deer repellent sprays such as Liquid Fence can keep several critters away from your plants, such as deer and rabbits. These sprays are quite effective and you typically only need to apply them once per month. However, you will need to spray more deer repellent if it continually rains, as the effects will wear off quickly.

Most deer repellent sprays contain a mixture of several ingredients that deter animals, such as citronella and garlic oil. Don’t spray the repellent directly onto the plants. All you need to do is spray around the plants in the soil bed and deer won’t approach them.

We all know that garlic is quite aromatic, and that’s why deer hate it. Garlic oil is among the best natural deer repellents. Simply douse the soil bed that your plants are in with garlic oil to keep deer away.

You can also drop some garlic oil into the soil of potted plants without damaging them. The deer may still approach the plants, but they won’t likely bite into them. Garlic oil can also keep insects such as mosquitoes away.

Deer have a sense of smell that is 10,000 times stronger than ours. Because of that, you don’t need to use too much garlic oil to keep them away from your plants. As a bonus, garlic oil can also keep snakes out of your yard, which can make it less intimidating to do yard work.

Motion-activated lights are enough to keep deer away from plants in many cases. The best thing about this method is that you don’t have to taint your garden with chemicals and enzymes that take a long time to wash away. Deer will quickly scurry away once a motion-activated light turns on.

The lights don’t necessarily need to be right by the plants if that’s not an option. In most cases, you can keep deer away from your plants even if you place a motion-activated light over your back door. However, battery-powered lights near your plants can work wonders as well and they won’t increase your energy bill.

In extreme cases, you may need to create a physical barrier to keep deer away from your plants. Something as simple as a fishing line can keep deer away without being too noticeable during the day. Fishing line is thin enough that it won’t disfigure your garden and make it look tacky.

Carefully section off your garden with at least one layer of fishing line. You can fortify the barrier and double up on the fishing line if deer still manage to get into your garden. Use this method in conjunction with other deer repellent or garlic oil for the best results.

Installing a fence can deter deer better than nearly any method. While deer are great at jumping, they are unlikely to jump a fence around your plants, as there is no easy escape route. You don’t need to build a large, elaborate fence for this to work.

Simply build a small fence even if it’s made of netting or chicken wire to keep deer away. A small garden fence costs as little as $70. Otherwise, you can install a fence around your backyard, which costs between $2,000 and $7,000 depending on the materials and size of your property.

Garlic oil, hot sauce, bar soap, and deer-repellent spray can keep deer away from plants. Install motion-activated lights in your backyard, as they will scare deer away from your garden. Avoid plants like chicory, since it can attract deer to your garden.

Marigolds and oregano can naturally keep deer out of your yard. Install a fence or wrap a fishing line around your garden to create a physical barrier for deer. Deer-repellent spray is the best option if you want a long-term solution that you only need to apply once per month.