Have gone out to your garden to look and care for your beautiful roses only to find that they have been decimated?
Then thought what could have caused such excessive damage overnight.
Then the question Do Deer eat roses? Came into your mind.
Well yes, deer do eat roses and enjoy eating the rose bush, rose buds and the rose flowers.
Continue reading to learn how to protect your roses and rose bushes from hungry deer.
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So Do Deer Eat Roses?
You may have heard that deer love looking at roses, but you may be wondering if they can eat them. The answer to your mind boggling questions is yes.
Deer have the ability to eat the foliage, blooms, and the buds of the roses. This also includes the canes that are thorny, so roses are not safe from these deer.
Deer are fond of the roses that have newly grown wherein the thorns are not yet that firm and sharp.
Typically, deer are active at night, but you can also see them eating the roses in the garden during day time.
Deer can eat 2-4 pounds of foliage a day, per deer.
This means that they have the ability to do extensive damage to your gardens, especially your beautiful roses in just a short period.
Now that I have answered your question, it would be best to know the different ways on how you can protect your lovely roses from the deer. Here are some tips below.
Create a Barrier of Scent Masking Plants
Start planting pungent perennials to make your garden not so appetizing to these deer.
The reason behind this is because deer are relying on their sense of smell when it comes to eating.
This is the reason why adding some herbs that are strongly scented essential, some of these herbs are lavender, mint, chives, and garlic. They can all mask the aromas of your lovely roses.
Growing Hairy or Thorny Plants
Deer also get bothered with the texture that they feel when approaching the meals that they are planning to eat.
You can try planting some barberries and lamb’s ear to protect your roses. You can plant these types of plants around the area where the deer can get inside of your garden.
Grow Ground Cover and Hedges to Protect Your Roses
This does not mean that you need to cover your garden like how you are covering your car.
What you can do is instead of building a fence, why not grow large sprawling plants, such as needle spruce or thick fast growing hedges.
This will make sure that the deer won’t be able to take a peek inside the large plants that you have grown.
Maintain a Clean Garden to Deter Deer
It is also essential to keep a well-kept garden by trimming all the grasses that are tall for you to be able to deter any deer from bedding.
If there are ripe fruits, then it would be best to pick them right away. Crops should also be removed and discarded after you have harvested them.
Create a Different Level Garden
Deers are not climbers so adding levels, such as sunken beds and terraces will help them be discouraged from going into your garden.
For people who have properties that are sprawling and woodsy, you can stack some pallets around the backyard. The reason behind this is because deer are usually scared of jumping or walking on them.
Create some Scare Tactics
Typically you can create something that is not familiar with the deer, such as sundials, scarecrows, and other types of ornaments for the garden.
You can choose scare tactics that are movable to make the deer feel skittish.
To add more effect, combine them with lights that are bright and some wind chimes.
Build a Fence to Keep Deer From Eating Your Roses
If you prefer to protect your roses securely, you can just build a wall that measures at least eight feet in height and six inches by six inches gap, since some deer have the ability to jump, especially the whitetails one.
You may also put up an electric fence during the peak of the feeding months, which is usually during early spring and fall to ensure that your roses are well protected.
Use Deer Repellents
Another tip that you can use is to use repellents, which are usually consist of egg solids that are smelly as this will target the smell of the deer.
There are a lot of deer repellents in the market today, wherein some are consist of ammonium, which creates a barrier.
It 'd be good to reapply the deer repellent after rain and to change the formula that you are using from time to time to ensure that your plants will stay protected and will prevent the deer from adapting to the smell.
Check out the Best Deer Repellents on Amazon
DIY Homemade Deer Repellents
You can use some of the things that you already have at home, such as strips of fabric softener or bars of soaps that are wrapped around the trees.
You may also use egg mixtures that are rotten, garlic, and as well as hot pepper sprays.
Wrapping Up How Prevent Deer That Do Eat Roses
These are some of the tips on how you can keep the deer away from eating your lovely roses.
The answer is a big yes, but you can still plant the roses and enjoy their beauty by protecting them with these tips above.
For people who have a dog, it would be best to let them roam around your garden since their smell and barks are natural repellents.
The deer will inevitably move away from your gardens, and your roses will remain beautiful and safe.
Follow the tips above, and you will surely enjoy the roses that you have planted in your beautiful garden.
Yes, deer do eat roses.
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