Here’s how to garden with deer

Q. I’m redoing some landscaping and I want to plant deer-resistant plants. What do you recommend?

Angela from Youngstown

A. Deer problems never go away. Selecting plants that are less preferred by deer are a great way to start, though.

Most of the questions I get relating to eliminating deer in the landscape involve things such as bars of soap, bags of human hair and piles of mothballs. The pile of mothballs is a bad idea because they can be poisonous to nontarget organisms (such as young children). The others work only if you change up your scheme on a regular basis. Realistically, there are four ways to completely rid your garden of deer. They are:

1. Completely eliminate the wildlife through species-specific fencing.

2. Train them to stay out (electric fencing or peanut butter fencing).

3. Make changes each time they figure out a way around your latest scheme.

4. Plant something they don’t prefer to eat.

If you live on a small lot and/or in an urban area, the first two are generally not an option for your garden. Option No. 3 is a challenge to keep up with. Most people give up before the deer do. Thus, option No. 4 is your best bet.

Before going to a list, I suggest gardeners take a walk through the neighborhood to see what plants are thriving despite the high populations of deer. Take note of those plants and whether they are options for the landscape.

There is a great and complete list of plants, with ratings as to deer resistance that has been developed by Rutgers University. The plants are rated A – Rarely Damaged – to D – Frequently Severely Damaged. There is no rating for Never Damaged, because when deer are hungry, they will try almost anything.

The list has more than 100 plants with an A rating. Some of the most infrequently damaged plants include daffodils, yucca, strawflower, Russian sage, poppies, peony, dwarf Alberta spruce, common boxwood, American holly and sweet woodruff. Most herbs with a strong scent (rosemary, thyme, mint, lavender, etc.) are listed with an A rating.

Some of the most frequently damaged plants with a D rating include cherries, hardy geraniums, hosta, yews, rhododendrons, strawberries, arborvitae and tulips (of course).

You can search this list at http://go.osu.edu/deerrating.

Eric Barrett is OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the office hotline at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Regular clinic hours are 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays.