Keep Your Garden Close to Home
Plant your kitchen garden near your home. The proximity allows you to monitor it easily and deter deer, which are scared by noise and movement.
Build a Tall Fence
Construct an eight-foot-high fence around your yard or garden to prevent deer from jumping over. For an alternative, consider an electric fence or rows of fishing line.
Design Levels in Your Landscape
Incorporate terraces, slopes, and stairs into your landscape. Deer are less likely to navigate multiple levels, opting for easier food sources instead.
Use Plant Cages
Protect young seedlings and newly planted shrubs with simple plant cages or wire baskets. This safeguards tender plants from being eaten.
Install Trunk Protectors
Wrap tree trunks with protectors, burlap, or foil to prevent deer from stripping the bark. Chicken wire can also be an effective barrier.
Adopt a Watchdog
A dog can be an effective deterrent, as deer avoid areas where they sense predators. Letting your dog roam the yard can help keep deer at bay.
Scare Deer with Visual Deterrents
Place items like pinwheels, mirrors, ribbons, and flags around your garden. These moving and reflective objects can startle deer and discourage them from entering.
Disperse Deer with Sounds
Use wind chimes or homemade noise-making gadgets made from cans, bottles, or old silverware to create sounds that deter deer.
Use Deer Repellent
Apply deer repellent in spray, liquid, or granular form to your garden. These repellents emit odors that deer find unpleasant.