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| Photo Credit: Sarah L. Ivy |
| The leaves of this weeping cherry tree were stripped clean at the classic deer-munching height of 3-6 feet. |
As gardeners, not only do we face the challenge of trying to provide our plants with a good growing environment and adequate water and nutrients, we’ve got the joy of battling pests in the landscape. The first pests that always come to my mind are insects, diseases and weeds. But all too often I forget about wildlife! Moles, voles, deer, squirrels, birds…and the list goes on and on. These critters are not only difficult to catch in the act, they’re fairly hard to control.
In my opinion, the most elusive – and maybe the most damaging – of these wild landscape invaders is deer. Although Bambi stole my heart, I don’t want him stealing my plants. Deer can annihilate buds, leaves and stems on just about any ornamental plant or herbaceous perennial. If you suspect deer are the culprits of your plant damage but you’re not entirely sure, look for the following signs: Deer tracks: Deer have distinct tracks that make it easy to tell who’s been walking in your landscape beds. Look for hoofprints with “two toes” on each foot. The front and back feet look similar, except the front feet are slightly smaller. Jagged or missing leaves: When deer chew on leaves, they leave a jagged margin. Often, though, entire leaves will be missing from the plant with only stems left behind.
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