Deer Food

Written by Burkholder Brothers Landscaping Tuesday, November 01 2011 12:04

As we head into the winter season, you may begin to notice increased plant damage due to deer and other animal browsing. In this area of Pennsylvania, deer overpopulation is a major obstacle and concern; especially for us in the landscape industry. Oftentimes clients try to tell us that they have a uniquely severe deer problem, but unfortunately this seems to be the case for almost all of our clients. Now a day it is rare for a client to be without a deer problem, so when we come across an untouched property we become overly excited and go crazy planting hosta and other deer friendly foods.

Deer eat approximately 5-9 pounds of food daily, loosely browsing a variety of different plants. In the summer they eat acorns, green plants, nuts, fruits, and aquatic plants. In the fall they switch to eating grasses and evergreen plants. In springtime deer prefer new shoots and budding plants. But, in the cold months of winter deer can be found eating just about any woody plant available. Beyond their browsing, deer can also severely damage or kill trees and shrubbery when they expose cambium layers of a plant by rubbing their antlers on bark to mark their territory during the fall mating season.

A simple solution to minimizing deer activity is to allow a well-trained and unchained dog to patrol the perimeter. If you want to install a deer fence, the fence will need to be at least 6 feet in height and (8ft is better), should local rules permit. In some cases, it may be advisable to "mark" the fence at regular intervals with nursery tape or cloth, so the deer can readily see it and learn to browse elsewhere. Deer repellent sprays can work, but they need to be reapplied consistently to all plants. Anything left unsprayed will easily turn into deer food.