Deer eat a variety of things, but not all deer will eat the same plants. In this blog post, we’ll explore what deer eat and why they do or don’t eat certain plants. I noticed that the deer were eating my rhododendron plants, and I was really upset!
What would make them do such a thing?
And then it occurred to me- all animals eat what they can find. Deer are herbivores; their diet consists mostly of plant material like flowers, leaves and buds. These things grow on bushes, trees or vines in your garden too – but not exclusively (edible nuts, for example). If you want to keep deer away from certain plants in your yard, try planting something more palatable nearby as an alternative food source. For instance: rosemary is considered toxic by some people because it contains high levels of camphor oil which may be harmful if consumed regularly over time, but it’s usually ok for herbivores to nibble on.
So, deer do not eat all plants; They just find what grows in your yard – and if there are no other options they will try yours!
As an avid gardener who has been planting flowers since I was a little girl (I still can’t keep them alive!), one thing that always comes up is the question “Do Deer Eat Rhododendrons?” So I thought this would be a good blog post topic because well…deer have eaten my entire garden. Anyway- here’s how it went down with those pesky deer.
Do deer eat rhododendron?
The answer is yes; they will eat any plant that grows in your yard as an alternative food source if there are not other options available to them. In my case the plants I have planted- which for years were alive and well- became dinner time fodder after a few months of coming up empty on their search for sustenance elsewhere. There was one day where it seemed like every single flower petal had been eaten by these little herbivores!
So how can you keep them from being able to find what’s growing in your garden?
-First, make sure all edible parts of the plant (think stalks) stay above ground level so they cannot be eaten.
-Second, do not put up any fences or netting as deer will be able to jump over them.
-Third and lastly- make sure you plant different types of plants in your garden so that the deer are unable to completely wipe out one type before moving on to another (maybe a bush with leaves vs a shrub with berries).
They do not discriminate when it comes to food sources in the garden and will munch on rhododendron just as eagerly as other types of flowers or ornamental shrubs. The easiest way to keep them out of your garden is by employing a few different techniques- make sure all edible parts are above ground level (not buried under leaves) so that deer cannot reach them, do not put up fences or netting because deer easily jump over these obstacles, and plant multiple types of plants which change bloom times throughout the year. This ensures that if one type becomes depleted for whatever reason, there’s another type close by with abundant blooms to keep deer from eating.
-They make sure all edible parts are above ground level so that they cannot reach them, do not put up fences or netting because the can easily jump over these obstacles, and plant multiple types of plants which change bloom times throughout the year to ensure if one type becomes depleted for whatever reason there’s another type close by with abundant blooms to keep deer away.
-The best time to feed your garden is during fall when you’re doing a final cleanup before winter hits. It will be easier than trying in late winter when snow has buried everything!
-It’ll also be better for those who live in colder climates where it snows heavily – you won’t have as much trouble getting around and feeding things then! If this is your situation, you might want to do the feeding in late fall when rhododendron are at their peak and offer them an opportunity to feast before winter comes.
-It’s important that deer don’t find easy pickings around your property so be sure they can’t access any of your garden plants by either fencing or netting off lower areas because deer can jump high distances – being careful not to put up fences or netting too close to a tree though as this will keep both deer and other critters away!
-If possible plant different types of flowers throughout the year for more variety in bloom time which should help make it harder for deer to target one type since there’ll always be something else blooming all season long.
-Offer plenty of natural cover for deer to hide in and eat without the competition from other animals, like a small wooded area or even some bushes.
-If you do want to plant rhododendron make sure they’re near their preferred type of tree as that’s another thing deer will use for protection when eating.
-Don’t forget to change out any worn down, old plants so there are always new ones available! The more variety around your property the better! And if all else fails call us we can recommend ways on how best to deter them from hanging around too close by with fencing treatments and liquid repellent sprays.
