Borst Landscape and Design Offers Helpful Tips to Protect Properties from Intrusive Deer Throughout the Fall

Organic Lawn Care Professionals Recommend "Deer-scaping" and Natural Solutions to Curb Hungry Deer This Season

Autumn is the time when deer come out from the woods to eat trees and shrubs on private property. Borst Landscape and Design in Allendale, NJ, suggests several safe and effective steps homeowners can take to protect landscaping from hungry deer.
Borst, a full-service landscape design firm, is a leader in organic lawn and tree care. Bob Malgieri, Borst’s tree and shrub care manager, recommends a combination of home remedies, natural sprays, barriers and mechanical devices to deter deer, especially during this season.
“Hungry deer will eat just about anything,” said Malgieri. “During cooler weather their preferred vegetation in the woods becomes scarce and they move to landscaping.” He added that bucks and does feed heavily on a vast assortment of leaves, twigs, and low growing plants, which they find in homeowners’ gardens.
Evidence that deer have been dining on landscaping include ragged ends where the leaves or twigs are torn away; plants whose tops or sides are eaten but not the lower portions; and missing or damaged tree limbs from ground level to a height of about six feet.

Home Remedies Keep Deer Away
Malgieri recommends first trying simple home remedies to keep deer off the property. These all take into account a deer’s highly developed sense of smell and odors that repel them. Homeowners can hang small bags of perfumed soap along a fence; make a solution of water and rotten egg (the basis of many store bought repellants); spray garlic oil or hot pepper spray on plants; or plant garlic bulbs or hot peppers among other plantings. Malgieri suggests switching between techniques to avoid desensitization.
Spray repellants provide more powerful deterrents and non-toxic formulas are available. As part of its organic lawn and garden maintenance program, Borst offers seasonal organic sprays that contain natural ingredients. They leave no offensive odor to people and are safe for all gardens, including fruits and vegetables. The organic sprays won’t discolor or add residue to garden flowers and other delicate plants and they are rain resistant.

Fence Property In, Keep Deer Out
When tougher measures are needed, Malgieri recommends deer fencing. Temporary or permanent fencing will protect susceptible plants and trees before damage occurs, especially during mating season when bucks are more active around trees. “In order to mark his territory, a buck will rub the bark off of small trees, leaving his scent behind as well as a damaged tree,” said Malgieri.
Mechanical devices may be needed for more aggressive intruders to boost other efforts, such as ultrasonic sound waves or a motion-sensored pressurized water jet. The devices are solar powered, which eliminates the need for electricity or batteries.

Deer-Scaping Your Landscape
Borst’s landscaping teams encourage deer-scaping as an effective, proactive measure that discourages deer from browsing or eating the plantings. Deer-scaping trains the animals early that your landscape is either too unsafe, too much trouble, too bad tasting, or too aromatic, and they will be more likely to move on.
“When planning landscape designs, choose deer-resistant plants and flowers, such as larkspur or daffodils,” Malgieri recommends, “or interplant highly aromatic plants such as lavender and thyme among plants that deer especially like. This confuses the deer’s sensitive nose.” Deer avoid strong odors, which prevent them from being able to sense danger.
Homeowners can create landscape barriers to entering the property by placing the most deer-resistant plants where the animals usually enter. Play areas, paved areas, groundcovers, or lawn at these locations are other obstacles deer will avoid. Hedges that are fuzzy, thorny, or strongly aromatic will protect the property’s perimeter. Adding hardscapes to the property, especially around plants that deer love, will also discourage these trespassers, as will multi-leveled landscapes.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, call Borst Landscape and Design at (201) 785-9400 or visit www.borstlandscape.com.