deer vs. dahlias

Do deer eat dahlias? My deer have destroyed all my Rose of Sharon buds and, this week, my mums #*%*&#. They have never touched my dahlias but I'm not sure if I've just been lucky or if I should protect them next spring.

The deer have been frequent visitors in the last week and have devoured some hostas but haven't touched others. They have totally avoided all of the dahlias, thank God.

It wouldn't hurt to give the new foliage a spray of your favorite deer deterrent next spring since the young deer often take a taste test just to be sure they do or don't like the flavor.

I'm in the Willamette Valley of Salem, OR.
My deer don't eat my dahlias. I don't plant roses as deer love them.
So Dahlias are my love and joy.
Marlettes

The deer spent lots of time chowing down on my hostas for two nights but last night we barricaded those areas with great success. They did return last night but to other gardens where they ate phlox and other hostas and never touched any of the dahlias.

The deer where I used to live in Maryland were a little fond of mine... until I started to use an egg and cayenne pepper mix on them religiously. That kept the blighters off. I've noticed that they munch on them a little -- never to the ground, and never the stems -- but only until something tastier came their way. I don't think they rank as a favorite.

Please give me your egg-pepper mix. I just planted new trees and I have over 100 dahlias to plant. As I was planting my fruit trees, a large doe came running about 20' from me through my garden. Oh I hate tehm in my garden.

I wonder if that applies to moose. usually by the time I can put out my dahlias, either in pots or in the ground, they have retreated to the mountains til fall.

Sorry for the late reply -- once spring starts, the nursery I work at goes nuts. A rough approximation of my recipe: Get your least favorite watering can, or the one with the biggest holes on the spout. In the kitchen, beat one raw egg, add in a tablespoon of your favorite really hot sauce or straight cayenne pepper -- either works. Then for good measure, a tablespoon of garlic, raw works better. Mix this in the watering can with a gallon or two of water; I don't know that I used the same quantity ever. Water your plants with this noxious mix only as long as it takes to get all the leaves wet, repeat after it rains. Egg can and will get stuck in the watering can spout -- and it's like glue. I'd use a cheap one and have some kind of toothpick or other thin pointy thing to re-poke the holes in the can occasionally.

Thanks, I will try. I have only had a few this summer, but they have been nibbling.

Deer don't eat dahlias, BUT they can (and do) crash through the garden & break stems getting to the yummy plants on the other side. Some chicken wire fencing laid flat around your dahlia beds will help prevent this. But it doesn't stop my neighbors' Bernese Mountain Dog from crashing through. I don't think anything would stop that &%$#@ dog!

Have you tried tossing him a nice roasted deer leg?

ROTFLMAO I'm sorry but you crack me up Arlene

Frankly, I'm surprised that "Hallie" (the Bernie) hasn't eaten those deer! She's just a puppy & she's 95 lbs!!! Jax loves her but provokes her to bark herself silly (@ 6AM. Outside my B/R window.).