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  • From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Vegetables that deer don't eat
  • Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:16:10 -0400


On Aug 21, 2009, at 9:57 PM, Erin Bullock wrote:

I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for good vegetable crops
that deer won't bother.
There is a high deer population on my farm, and I am trying to limit
the amount of fencing I need to construct. I am a 4-acre CSA farm in
Victor, NY.
Anyone have experience with deer nibbling potatoes, onion/garlic/
leeks, sweet corn, squash, cucumbers, melons, sunflowers?

I have had deer eat lettuce, tomatoes, beet greens, carrot tops, young melon and cucumber leaves, sweet potato leaves, bean plants, strawberry leaves. Blood meal will keep them off some of these, but is impractical on others; row cover or shade cloth may work.

I've never had them eat onions, garlic, or potatoes. I haven't had much damage in sweet corn or sunflowers, either; but I don't grow much of either.

Deer appetites seem to vary from place to place. Your deer may have different opinions from my deer. The best deterrent may be something they like better to eat, growing in quantity not too far from the crop you want to save.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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