Tricks To Keep Deer From Nibbling On Your Hostas

Hostas (Hosta plantaginea), or "plantain lilies," are among some of the most popular perennials gardeners love to plant. Not only are they coveted for their large, heart-shaped leaves and beautiful flowers in a range of colors, but they are relatively easy to grow. When they flower, hostas may even support pollinators, such as bees and hummingbirds. They can also, unfortunately, attract deer, who love feasting on hosta leaves. When it comes to keeping deer away from ruining your hostas, there are a variety of physical and non-toxic barriers you can use to help deter them.

While it may seem like your local deer are actively hunting hostas exclusively, Mississippi State University estimates that the common white-tailed deer eats more than 400 plant species. These include a variety of grasses, seeds, woody plants, and of course leafy plants like hostas. If a deer is hungry and they don't have access to other plants for sustenance, then they may target hostas in a home garden setting. They also tend to favor younger plants, which can make successfully caring for hosta plants even more challenging if you have deer in your area. Before you resort to potentially ineffective or harmful methods of deer prevention, consider the tricks that do work to protect hostas without hurting wildlife. 

When considering the best ways to keep deer out of your yard, as well as how to prevent hostas and other plants from becoming deer food, consider how you might physically protect them. First, you may consider installing an eight-foot-tall fence around your property, or a smaller enclosures around your garden only. Doing so will prevent direct access between deer and your beloved hosta plants. Dogs can also be natural deterrents against deer. For everyone's safety, however, is best for a dog to make their presence known within the safety of your home at a window, outside on a leash, or while in a fenced yard.

Plants are other considerations for physical barriers between deer. While deer do eat hundreds of species of plant foods, it's thought that they don't like those that have strong scents. To help protect your hostas, you might consider making a plant perimeter made of herbs such as mint, chives, and catnip, or even prickly plants that deer might want to avoid. Just keep in mind that this trick is not nearly as effective as fencing, and if a deer is ravenous, they may eat almost any plant. Also, while you might consider growing possible deer-repelling plants by your hosts, you should not mix them together. This can make the hostas easily accessible to deer, who might then step on the other plants to reach the leaves they're looking to eat. 

Aside from physical barriers, you might have considered using natural ingredients that may repel deer from your yard and garden. Most non-toxic deer repellents have only anecdotal evidence, though there are a few exceptions. One such method is a spray consisting of eggs and water, which is thought to create a scent deer do not like. This recipe calls for three eggs per one gallon of water, which can be sprayed directly onto plants every two weeks, or whenever it rains. Some gardeners have also reported spraying essential oils, such as peppermint, around plants as natural deer repellents, though there's a risk of damaging your hostas from phototoxicity burns. Other methods utilize soap or human hair placed strategically around the plants, though there's not any scientific evidence to prove these methods work. 

 There are commercial-grade deer repellants on the market, but even these aren't guaranteed to work. Another problem is that even if the solution does work, it may wear off in the rain, or the deer may eventually become accustomed to it. For these reasons, physical barriers like fences may be the best option to prevent deer from entering your yard or garden.