"tenplay" wrote in message
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JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"tenplay" wrote in message
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Deer often come into our yard and munch on some of the garden plants.
What can we do to prevent this? A neighbor said that human urine
diluted and sprinkled near the plants the deer like to eat would work.
Is it true? Are there any alternative repellants? Thanks for any
advice/suggestions.

Are you trying to protect vegetables, ornamentals, or both?

I'm trying to protect annuals and perennials, not vegetables. Appreciate
all the helpful responses.

OK. If vegetables were the issue, caging is the solution for some. For
ornamentals, you might be able to protect some of them using chicken wire
barriers, which, with enough foliage around, can be inconspicuous from
normal viewing distances. I'm not talking about surrounding an entire garden
with it. Rather, you can use small pieces to protect plants that seem to be
on the menu most often. For instance, the deer were munching the unopened
buds from my daylillies. So, I put a green stake in the ground next to each
plant, and attached a hoop of chicken wire surrounding the flower stalks. I
cut some of the chicken wire to lots of pointy things were sticking out. No
more damage. Same with the gerbera daisies.

If your state is like NY, it is legal (with certain requirements) to kill
destructive animals. IIRC, they must be destroying a food garden, or
ornamentals grown as part of your livelihood. Obviously, you can't be
shooting deer in typical neighborhoods, but if you're out in the sticks,
this may be an option. Plant some favorite deer snacks among your flowers,
and now it's a food garden. There are a few other minor requirements, but
nothing insurmountable.