The overlap between human habitats and local wildlife often frustrates gardeners, especially regarding vegetable plots. Deer are common visitors who view a carefully tended garden as a convenient, high-quality food source. The tender, nutrient-dense leaves of plants like spinach are frequently targeted, leading to the rapid destruction of a season’s hard work. Protecting your harvest requires understanding why deer are attracted to specific crops and implementing practical, layered defense strategies.
Deer and Spinach: A Preferred Meal?
Deer enthusiastically consume spinach, classifying it as a highly palatable and preferred food source. This preference is rooted in the plant’s nutritional profile and physical structure, optimized for easy digestion. Young spinach leaves are particularly tender and lack the bitter, tough, or fuzzy textures found on plants deer tend to avoid.
Spinach is rich in vitamins (A, C, K) and minerals (iron, calcium), providing a concentrated source of nutrients deer need for growth and reproduction. This high density makes it a rewarding food for a grazing animal. Consumption is highest during periods of high need, such as early spring when natural forage is limited, or in late summer when does are pregnant or nursing. Local population density also influences garden visits. When natural browse becomes scarce, cultivated greens become attractive, and a single deer can consume several pounds of forage daily.
Effective Strategies for Protecting Spinach
Protecting spinach requires a combination of physical barriers and sensory deterrents, as relying on a single method often fails. The most reliable solution is a fence, which must account for the deer’s jumping ability. A permanent fence needs to be at least eight feet tall, or utilize a double-fence design with two parallel, shorter fences spaced three to five feet apart.
For smaller plots or temporary protection, individual plant covers like chicken wire cages or fine mesh netting can safeguard spinach rows. The netting must be pulled taut and anchored securely to the ground to prevent deer from nudging it aside or crawling underneath.
Scent- and taste-based repellents offer a secondary layer of protection and should be rotated to prevent deer from becoming accustomed to one specific odor or taste. Commercial sprays often contain putrescent egg solids, which emit a rotten smell deer associate with predators. Other options include hanging strongly scented bar soap or using motion-activated sprinklers. Consistent reapplication, especially after rain or new growth, is necessary for repellents to remain effective.
Other Highly Targeted Garden Vegetables
Spinach is not the only vegetable deer find irresistible; they are attracted to a wide variety of tender, leafy, and highly digestible crops. Favorites include beans, peas, lettuce, kale, and chard, which offer similar nutritional benefits. Root vegetable tops, such as beet greens and carrot foliage, are also readily consumed.
Gardeners can strategically plant less-preferred options to create a perimeter or buffer zone. Deer generally avoid plants with strong aromatic oils, such as garlic, onions, chives, rosemary, and mint. They also tend to ignore plants with fuzzy or prickly textures, including squash, cucumbers, and rhubarb. However, when food is scarce, even these less appealing plants may be browsed, reinforcing the need for physical protection.