(Backyard Gardener - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! The heatwave we are experiencing would make you think we are in the first week of August, not September. However, cooler weather is on the way.

The last thing on a backyard gardeners mind right now in this heat is planting cool season vegetables and greens. However, if you plant cool season veggies now you may harvest well past Christmas into the New Year. Swiss Chard, kale, many types of lettuce, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels Sprouts are just a few vegetables you can plant in the next few weeks.

Many of our cool season vegetable do not like the summer heat and will bolt (flower) and go to seed. They become more bitter as it gets hotter. Just the opposite, cool season veggies planted in fall will thrive in the crisp autumn weather and some even improve in flavor after the first frost.

I receive many calls about deer damage to garden plants, flowers and trees in the home landscape. Although browsing deer are charming to watch, they can cause extensive damage by feeding on plants and rubbing antlers against trees (especially young fruit trees).

In urban areas, home landscapes can be major source of food. Damage is most commonly noticed in spring on new, succulent growth. Because deer lack upper incisors, browsed twigs and stems show a rough, shredded surface. Damage caused by rabbits, on the other hand, has a neat, sharp 45-degree cut. Rodents leave narrow teeth marks when feeding on branches. Deer strip the bark and leave no teeth marks.

As natural habitat is lost to new roads, homes and buildings, deer begin to spend more time in populated areas such as your backyard. Deer are just as happy foraging in your yard as they would in a natural area and may actually prefer what you have planted over their natural diet (garden vegetables, flowers and shrubs).

A good defense strategy against deer is to plant things they are known to dislike. Deer tend to be put off by fuzzy, coarse fern-like foliage, and leaves or stems with strong odors or spines. Some plants less attractive to deer are lamb’s ears, hellebores, ornamental grasses, ferns, catmint, Russian sage, lavender and snakeroot. While deer love tulips, they tend to avoid other bulbs such as daffodil, allium, grape hyacinth and autumn crocus.

When looking at trees and shrubs, deer often avoid pines, spruces, larches, cypress and boxwood. In spring and summer, Forsythia, Weigelia, Spirea and Ninebark attract fewer deer. For late-season color, try Callicarpa (Beautyberry) or Potentilla.

Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance, a helpful list of deer-resistant plants created in 2003 by Rutgers University, categorizes plants by their likelihood of damage, from rarely damaged to frequently severely damaged. Looking for a shrub that deer don’t like? Check out the Rutgers list.

Remember, however, a hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable. No plant is 100% deer-proof.

Many homeowners will use taste and smell repellents to keep deer and other wildlife out of the garden and flower beds. Control with repellents is hit and miss. What works for your neighbor may not work for you. Yes, this includes collecting hair from the barber shop, Ivory and Irish Spring soaps and coffee grounds.

However, it may be worth the effort if you only have a few plants to protect or do not want to put up a fence. Keep in mind, repellents won’t eliminate all damage, especially during winter when deer are scavenging for food sources but it may keep damage to a minimum.

Repellants often contain ingredients such as capsicum pepper, putrid egg solids and garlic. Putrescent egg solids, basically decomposing eggs, emit a sulfur-like odor thought to mimic the smell of predator urine and discourage deer activity. It functions as both a taste and scent repellent.

Scent repellents, like dried blood and garlic, don’t have to be ingested to be effective so can be applied on or around the plants to be protected.

Be consistent about reapplying to keep the repellant fresh. After consistently encountering your repellants, deer may change traffic patterns to avoid your yard. Taste repellents must be applied directly to the plants being protected to be effective. Deer need to get the repellent in their mouth to be discouraged from further feeding.

Keep in mind that taste repellents should not be applied to edible plants during the growing season after fruit set, unless it states it is safe on the label. Read and follow label directions on any product.

A spray of 20% whole eggs and 80%water is an effective homemade repellent. To prevent the sprayer from clogging, remove the chalaza or white membrane attached to the yolk before mixing the eggs. The egg mixture is weather resistant but must be reapplied in about 30 days.

Keep in mind repellants may not totally deter deer. Repellants lose their taste and scent from rainfall or irrigation. They also cannot protect new leaves and shoots that emerge after your application. In winter, deer are more desperate for food and may tolerate repellants. Your only option may be to cover or block deer from plants, shrubs and trees.

Motion-sensing noise-makers and water scare tactics are another option. Coupling these devices with some of the repellants can send a clear message your garden is off limits. All repellants work to some degree, but deer can acclimate to one, so rotate them using several different types. Sometime dogs will deter deer and can be useful.

Where deer are abundant and there are many plants or a large area to protect such as a home orchard, fencing may be the only way to effectively minimize damage. Several fencing designs are available to meet specific needs.

An effective deer fence must be tall enough that deer won’t jump over it, 8 feet is the standard. Temporary electric fences are simple and inexpensive, but useful in protecting garden and orchards during snow-free periods.

Unfortunately, fencing is the only truly reliable way to exclude deer from gardens and landscapes, especially in areas of high deer density. Most vegetable gardeners agree that fencing is essential if you want to consume the vegetables you grow. Some herbs and onions can manage without fencing, but most are eaten by deer.

Small trees or plants can be protected with a cage of wire mesh, making sure it is tall enough to prevent deer from reaching over the top or pushing their snout through the wire openings. Anchor the cage as needed to keep it in place.

Deer antler rub damage occurs during the fall breeding season, October through January, with a peak in November. As males rub the dried velvet from their antlers, they frequently damage tree trunks. Protect small or young trees with plastic tree wrap products, slit drain tile or a woven-wire cylinder making sure the protection goes at least four feet up the trunk.

Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension office at (304)-424-1960 or at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with your questions. Until next time, Good Luck and Happy Gardening!