How to Keep Deer Out of My Vegetable Garden

Overview

Deer are common garden pests in rural areas. If the deer are having a difficult time finding food on their own in the wild, often they will begin to look for food in other locations. They may explore until they find your garden. In addition to eating your vegetables, deer can destroy the rest of your garden by trampling the plants. There are several methods you can use to get rid of the deer or prevent them from coming into your garden.

Step 1

Create a barrier between your garden and the deer. Install a 9-foot fence around your garden. Deer can jump fences as high as 8 feet. You also can install an electric fence. This can be dangerous, however, if you have children or small pets.

Step 2

Use scents to repel the deer. Tie a mesh bag filled with broken bits of Dial soap. Most deer do not like the scent of the soap. Tie dryer sheets to trees around your garden. The smell and the way the dryer sheets flap in the wind may help repel the deer.

Step 3

Hang human hair around your garden. Tie the hair directly to stakes or the plants. This works best when used in addition to repellents or pepper spray.

Step 4

Apply a 2-inch to 3-inch layer of chicken manure around your garden. Spread it with a rake. The deer will not cross the line of manure to get to the garden--they hate the smell.

Step 5

Spray a coating of pepper spray or deer repellent directly on your plants. You will need to reapply the spray every two to three months.