Deer Protection for Trees & Shrubs
Deer protection is a must for most young shrubs and trees. Without it, they will probably be set back and maybe killed. Some woodies are enjoyed by deer in all seasons, while other less appetizing ones, like rhododendrons and arbor vitae, are ignored till late winter when the deer get very hungry. The only woodies sold by Wild Gardens that deer seem to avoid entirely are bayberry and sumac. (They are not so fond of smelly and fuzzy.) Yes, this is a problem with major implications for the continued health of our forests. There are too many deer for the next generation of trees to grow and thrive. But this blog post is only going to address the woodies you have planted yourself. So. . .
You can find many different kinds of tree protectors online, some for prices as low as a couple of dollars each. Most of them will only fit very young trees and shrubs. As the woody outgrows them, they will still benefit from protection – deer will browse a tree up to a height of 5 feet. So my own preferred method of protecting a woody is to give it a circular fence 4’ high and 4’ in diameter, right from the beginning. The 4’ height prevents deer (whose shoulder height is between three and three and a half feet) from putting their heads over. Although they are perfectly capable of jumping a 4’ fence, it’s highly unlikely they will jump into such a small space. The 4’ diameter allow the woody some room to grow sideways without having its lateral branches eaten off. The fencing should stay until the plant’s main branches are over 5’ tall, or until it’s such a bushy, vigorous plant you’re ready to share with the deer.
To enclose a tree this way, you will want fencing material and 3 or 4 stakes. To create a circle 4’ across you will need 12’ of fencing. You have your choice of deer netting (cheapest), chicken wire (medium price) or hardware cloth (sturdiest and most expensive.) I generally go with chicken wire because I find deer netting flimsy and unattractive, and hardware cloth just too costly. Similarly you have a choice of stake: wooden or metal. Although the metal stakes cost much more, I fine they are worth it because the wooden stakes rot out after a couple of seasons.
Once the woody has outgrown the need for the fence, which may be several years, you can take it down and repurpose the materials. But it is still prudent to give a young tree protection from buck rub, which is abrasion caused when the male tries to rug the fuzz off his new antlers. Buck rub takes place low on the trunk so to protect the tree long-term, all you need is a loose collar of wire mesh about 18” high right around the trunk. This can stay there for good if you want – just be sure to loosen it as the tree grows.