There are six species of deer that live wild in the British Isles and in some places there are very large populations of particular species, and beautiful though they are, they can be devastating to a garden or small holding when they come calling.  

 

Deer cause damage in several different ways. In my friends garden the most damage is caused by ‘her’ deer taking a fancy to a certain perennials bed – not to eat, but to rest in on sunny afternoons. They can strip a rose bush bare or delicately nibble the growing tips of your favourite fruit bushes or simply trample through a veg patch, grazing as they go. Because of this there isn’t a one-solution answer that will solve the problem of deer in the garden.  A herd of deer, even a small one, can cause immense damage in a single night, but it is the persistent offenders which are the real problem.

 

Deer resistant plants

After talking to a lot (a lot!) of people and doing a considerable amount of research on the subject, I am forced to admit that there are, in reality, very, very few plants that are indeed deer-proof, despite many articles and books that say otherwise. If there is a lot on offer deer will select some plants over others, always ignoring their least favourites and leaving the landowner with the impression that deer won’t eaten certain plants. But if food is scarce or if the deer have been scared away from their usual feeding grounds they will turn their attentions to whatever is there. In short deer will eat almost anything.

​

Like all of us, deer have their favourites, and if these are on offer, they will go for them so if deer are already a persistent problem and your garden or homestead is large enough, you could offer a patch of ground planted up with their favourite wild plants, which would keep them away from your more precious cultivated plants. Consult with your wildlife trust to find out which species of deer are prevalent in your area, and which wild plants that species prefer.

 

Repellents

There are numerous methods of keeping deer out of gardens and away from precious plants. It is a sad fact, however, that most of them don’t work. Really unpleasant smells do have some deterrent effect, though if you have invested a lot of time and money in your garden or your neighbourhood deer are particularly keen on your patch, this cannot be relied upon as a fool-proof option. However, rags that have been used to clean up creosote or diesel spills have had some success in keeping deer away from some plants. Very strongly scented soaps (hung up in a net bag) and perfumes have also been reported to  have some success, especially if they are suspended around the target plants on rope or twine so they flap in the wind, thereby providing a two-in-one solution.  It is unlikely, however, that these methods will keep deer away in a hard winter when feeding opportunities are scarce.

​

A very strong solution of minced garlic in water deters deer from nibbling on particular plants, but it has to be reapplied after rain and at regular intervals, even in a dry season, and of course it won’t make smelling the roses very  alluring for the gardener either!

​

The rustle of plastic shopping bags or plastic bunting tied on to canes, strings or wires will startle a nervous newcomer, but a confident elder or a large group will quickly ascertain that it is nothing more than a noise and ignore it. On the other hand, lots of loud noises that interfere with the deer’s ability to hear the sounds of approaching danger make them think twice about hanging around for long – but it will also interfere with your own enjoyment the garden and may not be all that popular with the neighbours either.

​

Sudden noises and lights can deter new visitors (at least for a time) but has little permanent effect on a population of deer that have already made themselves at home on your patch over a number of weeks. More effective is a sudden noise or light coupled with a heavy jet of water (such as the arching spray from a large-scale lawn sprinkler). An ordinary lawn sprinkler will do no good at all and it isn’t unusual to see deer enjoying the benefits of a well watered garden on a hot afternoon!

​

Evidence of humans, such as a scarecrow, a radio tuned to a talking radio station, human hair and human urine have no lasting effect. The deer are choosing to enter a space that is (to a deer) already saturated with the scent and evidence of human activity.  Why would a little more make any difference?

​

Equally the scent of lion poo does little. If lions were native to Britain, the deer might think twice about it, but there is nothing in the individual or collective memory of deer that would tell them that lions (or their poo) are something to be avoided.  There are no real predators of deer in the UK and so there is little natural instinct to avoid predators in the UK deer population. A large, confident dog in the garden will keep deer away, but only when the dog is present and active!  

Unfortunately deer have no problem with thorns or prickly plants unless they come in the form of a tall, wide and dense bramble patch. But it does have to be tall, broad and impenetrable or it won’t work. Thorny gooseberries or prickly roses offer no deterrent whatsoever, as anyone who has ever seen a deer strip a rose clean can testify.

​

In winter deer often cause most damage by stripping the outer layer of bark from trunks and branches to get to the sweet, nutritious layer underneath. You can protect precious individual plants from this sort of damage by erecting a sturdy wood and netting enclosure around the tree or by wrapping the trunk in rigid plastic tubing up to a height of 1.5 meters. The lower branches will still be eaten up to the height of the deer’s reach, but the tree will be protected from the worst of their attentions.

 

Fences and Hedges

The only real and permanently effective deer deterrent is a high fence of a particular design.

Deer will not voluntarily choose to leap a barrier that they can’t see through, so the answer is to build a barrier that is high enough to present both a physical and visual barrier.  Even the smallest British deer, the diminutive roe deer, can leap a 1.2m fence from walking pace and larger deer will choose to struggle through a hedge to reach a tasty morsel, so the first thing to do is to get to know who you are dealing with.  You can get in touch with your local wildlife trust to find out which deer species are common in your area as this will determine how you build your barrier.

If you have a large garden you could choose only to fence certain areas, or to make a feature of the fence (an arbour around a rose garden, or a small vegetable patch, for instance), or to protect individual plants.

Deer like to know where they are landing and what is on the other side so a tall,  solid fence - at least 1.5 tall – will keep most deer out of most areas. However if you live in an area populated by Red or Sitka deer, you will have to aim for an even taller fence; 1.8 meters as a minimum.  

​

The very best cheap deer fence (a relative term, I agree)  is a combination of a chain link fence of the minimum appropriate height planted with hedging or climbing plants that will grow quickly and densely to obscure the view of foraging deer, thereby creating an instant physical barrier with a visual screen that will soon catch up. Some candidates for plants to clothe the fence are hawthorn and blackthorn, wild brambles, alder, elder and hazel. Then there is leylandii (a very speedy grower with a poor reputation, but underestimated as an excellent habitat for nesting birds) and even bamboo and willow (both of these have the great advantage of being of use in the garden and small holding). If, as is the case with many of these plants, they are themselves subject to being eaten by deer, you will need to plant inside the fence to protect the deterrents!

​

Most of these plants have the great advantage of being sold as bare-root specimens, which makes them cheaper than buying them as pot grown plants.

 

• For every time that I hear of a plant that deer will reputedly not touch, someone will tell a tale of the same plant being stripped to the ground by deer.

• The RHS produces a comprehensive list of deer resistant plants, but treat it with caution. If deer are a persistent problem in your neighbourhood, barriers are the only sure bet.

 

Height for deer fences, by species

Roe Deer                                                      1.2m tall

Muntjac, Fallow and Chinese Water Deer     1.5m tall

Red and Sitka Deer                                       1.8m tall