Do Deer Eat Tomatoes? Keeping Deer Out of Your Vegetables
Do deer eat tomatoes? Oh yes, they do! It’s frustrating to see your hard work go to waste because you can’t keep these hungry pests out of your garden! Are you ready to take back your produce? Read on! We’ve got the best tips for keeping deer away from your precious vegetable plants.
Do Deer Eat Tomatoes and Tomato Plants?
Yes they do! Deer are hungry creatures and will eat almost any type of vegetation if they are hungry enough. That includes your precious tomato plants. Deer will eat all parts of the tomato plant from top to bottom, leaving behind a huge mess.
In a Hurry?
Do deer eat tomatoes? Yes, they do. Here are our top methods for stop deer from eating your tomato plants
- Build a Barrier
- Use a Motion Sensitive Water Sprayer
- Spray Commercial Repellents AROUND your plants (do not apply to tomatoes)
- Place deer-resistant plants around your tomatoes
- Get a deer chaser- also known as a dog
According to experts at the University of Connecticut, tomato plants are rarely damaged by deer. However, that has not been my experience.
We live in a rural area, and deer are everywhere. There are plenty of wild plants for them to eat, but they seem to prefer our garden produce and other garden delights. There is nothing quite like walking into your garden in the morning to admire your garden, only to see the wreckage of your beloved plants. Deer are shy, so they usually raid our garden at night, under cover of darkness. They love the peas and the lettuce best, but they also ripped the tops off some of our tomato plants. I was not impressed!
Do deer eat tomatoes? Tomatoes are not the deer’s first choice of food, but they will eat them. I know this first hand. And when that happens, you need to take some serious steps to protect your vegetable plants. Therefore we strongly recommend taking steps to protect your tomato plants from deer before it is too late. Not just when you start to see evidence of deer coming into your garden.
We’ll tell you what works in our garden and what science says. Then you can make an informed decision on how best to protect your tomato plants from those pesky deer.
How do I Know If Deer Are Eating My Tomato Plants?
Do deer eat tomatoes? Yes, they do. But how do you know if the damage you see is caused by deer? Deer are a common nuisance in many areas. They can do a lot of damage to garden plants, and it is easy to spot. Deer do not take dainty bites or nibbles like rabbits. Instead, they leave ripped, jagged edges on leaves and stems. Deer only have teeth on their bottom jaw and have a hard palate in place of top teeth. They cannot bite, so they tear and rip off leaves. The damage is usually to foliage at the top of the plants (easier to reach). Except for roses, they’ll eat all the blooms from top to bottom!
Other telltale signs include hoof prints and droppings. Deer’s hooves consist of two parts that make a distinctive heart-shaped print. The droppings look like clusters of small brown balls, and you can track the deer’s path through your garden by the piles of droppings.
Not sure if the damage you see in your garden is caused by deer? Check out our complete guide to keeping rabbits out of your garden and we can also show you how to keep racoons away from your home.
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Tomato Plants?
So, let’s get started. We found five effective ways of stopping deer from eating your tomatoes- or any garden plant for that matter.
1. Building Barriers to Keep Deer Out
First off, the most effective method of keeping the deer out of your garden is to build a fence. A well-constructed deer fence will provide an excellent barrier against deer and protect your plants!
Let’s be honest though, setting up a proper deer fence around your whole yard can be prohibitively expensive. And you might end up feeling hemmed in by the barriers. Remember that deer can jump up to eight feet, so wire fences should be at least this high to deter them. A stockade fence does not have to be so high. Deer are nervous about jumping over a barrier when they cannot see what is on the other side. So a six-foot stockade fence would probably work just as well.
Fencing an entire yard will cost a lot of money. Some people only fence around their vegetable plots, and this is perfectly adequate. This post gives some alternative suggestions for creating an effective barrier with lower heights. These include fences with slanted tops and double fences.
Consider An Electric Fence
A wire fence causes an unpleasant shock the first time deer come in contact with it. Deer do not like this, so they are quickly learn to stay clear of your garden. If you are considering installing an electric fence, be sure to check your local zoning laws first. You can hire a specialty company to install one or do it yourself. Be careful to follow the installation instructions carefully. You do not want any hazardous conditions. This video walks you through the process of installing an electric fence in your yard.
Be diligent about keeping the fence line weeded and clear of plants. You do not want anything to touch the fence and stop it from working.
Bear in mind that the fence will give a nasty shock to any living thing that touches it. Remember this will include you, your pets, and your neighbor’s child! You may want to avoid this by turning the fence off during the day. Be mindful when working around these fences. Avoid using them if you have young children or pets.
Electric fences are not for every homeowner, but they can be a very effective way to keep the deer out of your gardens.
A Fishing Line Barrier: Yes, It Works
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A fishing line can provide an effective, cheap barrier against deer. Yes, I know it sounds odd. But stay with me here, and I will explain. It is easy to put up. Hammer 60 inch high plastic-covered stakes into the ground. String fishing line between them, winding it around each stake. It should be about 4 ft above the ground.
The fishing line does not show up very well. When the deer’s legs bump against the unseen line, it startles them. They become cautious and unwilling to continue walking forward. It sounds too good to be true, but it works. We’ve used fishing line fences to keep deer out of our garden for the last nine years. It works surprisingly well and is very inexpensive.
Finding this post helpful? See all our wildlife and animal posts.
2. Use a Motion Sensitive Water Sprayer to Deter Deer
Motion-activated sprayers are an innovative solution for protecting gardens and flower beds from hungry deer. They can be a real game-changer for your garden. We found they were the perfect solution for us, as they are much cheaper than fencing.
These marvelous devices deliver a burst of water when they sense movement. Deer hate the sudden noise and strong jet of water that sprays when the motion detector triggers. It sends them fleeing in the opposite direction! You can easily adjust the range of the sprayer to targets specific areas like your tomato plants. And best of all, they don’t harm anything!
Here are a few tips
- Most devices can protect small to medium vegetable gardens, but you may need more than one if you have a large garden. We used 2 in ours.
- Taller sprinklers tend to work better than shorter models. The sensor is lifted above most of the foliage and won’t get triggered on windy days.
- They will still go off on very windy days when the plants are moving around. We found that putting a bag over the sensor saves the batteries and our water bill. Don’t forget to remove it as soon as the wind dies down.
- Make sure that your device has an infrared sensor so it can work at night.
We used this device very effectively for many years. A word of caution- the sprayer is triggered by any motion, so it will also set off when your neighbor walks by, pets enter the garden, and you go to hang the laundry! Be careful how you aim it and turn it off before you walk into the yard. I speak from personal experience here!
3. Commercial Deer Repellents: Can You Use Them on Tomatoes?
There is a wide variety of deer repellants available on the market and they work well if used properly. However, I would not recommend them for use on food crops.
There are two main kinds.
- Area repellents typically work by smell. The deer do not like the scent, so they deter animals from coming near the plant. Apply them to the ground around the plants. They do not appear to work as well as contact repellents. However, you can spray them around the edge of your garden. You can also use them in situations when contact repellents are not suitable.
- Contact repellents are applied directly to plants, and they contain unpleasant flavors that the deer do not like. They work better, but they can make plants taste bad for people as well as deer. I would not recommend the use of contact repellents on any food crops, including tomatoes.
The effectiveness of any deer repellent you use will depend on several factors.
- Some repellents will lose their efficacy if exposed to water so, reapplication may be necessary after rain.
- Most of them lose their potency with time. Reapply them regularly.
- How hungry the deer are and the availability of other more palatable food.
If you want these products to work well, use them as directed by the manufacturer. You cannot spray once at the beginning of the season and think that will protect you throughout the growing season.
Be aware that no repellents are 100% effective. Still, many commercial formulas reduce deer damage significantly.
As I mentioned above, I would not use deer repellents on food crops. Still, you may have some success if you combine an area repellent with a fishline barrier. Spray the ground around the fence.
Do Other Scented Items Keep Deer Away?
There are many do-it-yourself (DIY) deer repellents. These include bags of human hair, soap, or hot chili sauce around the area. The idea is that these smells are offensive to the deer’s delicate sense of smell, and they will do their best to avoid them.
But here is the catch, studies show that they are not very effective at keeping deer away. This study found that hanging bags of human hair reduced the damage by 36% compared to control groups. The same study found that hot sauce reduced the damage by only 18%.
By all means, try them if you want, but you will probably be disappointed. It depends on the conditions and what scientists call grazing pressure. If food is plentiful and there are lots to choose from, these homemade options may deter the deer. They probably will not work if the deer are hungry and there are not many other options. Is it worth the risk?
4. Use Deer-Resistant Garden Plants
We’ve been answering the question – do deer eat tomatoes? However, did you know there are plants deer do not like? Surprisingly, there is quite a long list of them. One strategy for protecting your tomato plants against hungry deer is to surround your vegetable plot with these kinds of plants! These include plants with the following characteristics.
- Hairy of furry foliage: Deer dislike the feel of these plants on their tongues. These would include lambs ears, poppies, and yarrow.
- Prickly Leaves: As you can imagine, these are not very nice to eat. Who wants a mouth full of prickles? These would include things like sea holly, prickly pear, and globe thistle. One exception is roses. Unfortunately, deer can navigate around the thorns on the canes.
- Strongly Scented Leaves: Deer are very sensitive to smell. Plants with distinctive scents will confuse their noses and discourage feeding. These include many herbs such as Sage, Thyme, Lavender, Basil, and Mint. Plant these herbs around your tomato plants as an extra layer of protection.
- Toxic Leaves: Some deer-resistant plants are poisonous to deer and will cause intestinal distress. The deer learn to avoid these. These include poppies, bleeding heart, and daffodils.
The Oregon State University has published an extensive list of deer resistant plants. A few of them can be planted around your tomatoes. But I wouldn’t rely on these plants alone. Still, it is a handy list to have if you want to minimize deer damage in the rest of your garden.
5. A Dog Will Keep Deer From Your Garden
Perhaps unsurprisingly, having a dog around is a super effective way to keep deer out of your yard. Dogs are territorial creatures and natural hunters. They will instinctively give chase if they catch sight of a deer in the yard. No deer will stay put if they see a dog headed their way. The frantic barking alone will scare them off.
In addition, most dogs continually mark the boundaries of their territory with urine. The deer will pick up this scent and steer clear..
Obviously, getting a dog is a big commitment. Still, a built-in deer chaser is an advantage. It is something to consider if you are thinking about getting a furry friend anyway.
Will tomato plants grow back after deer eat them?
You have spent your time lovingly tending your tomato plants. Only to have them damaged by deer! Now what? Will they grow back? How long will it take before you get my fresh tomatoes?
The good news is that most tomato plants will grow back unless the damage is too extensive. They are remarkably resilient and should survive. Give them a little extra love and care in terms of regular watering and fertilizing.
It will take a little longer before you can enjoy those fresh tomatoes as they will need to regrow. You will also need to take steps to prevent those darn deer from eating your tomatoes a second time.
Conclusion
So, do deer eat tomatoes? Yes, they do, so it is time to make a plan! How will you save your tomatoes and the rest of your garden? The fail-safe method is to use fencing, but that is not a viable option for everyone. The best alternative is to combine several techniques. We found that motion-sensitive water sprinklers, combined with a fishline barrier, worked very well for us. We also added an extra layer of protection with an area repellent spray.
So, now you know that deer will eat tomatoes if they are hungry. Which methods will you use to keep them away?