Is it worth planting a vegetable garden for the deer and rabbits to eat?

When I lived in Seattle (granted, many years ago) there was a program where you could buy the pee of large predators from the zoo to sprinkle around the borders of the gardens. A few friends did this and swore by it, no rabbits or deer bothered with their gardens.

This question made me laugh. My brother has been trying for well over 20 years to have a garden that the animals can’t get to, and it hasn’t happened yet.
The only thing he can come up with is a green house and he refuses to build one.
I think it’s very nice of you gardeners to feed all the deer, rabbits, squirrels and others who come along.

@canidmajor I have started using a deer repellent spray on my hostas that seems to help but would it make the veggies inedible?

@janbb, they never used it directly on the veggies, but as a border, and reinforcing scent down the rows, instead of on the veggies. I’m sure the actual commercial products will mention whether or not it is suitable for food gardens.
My personal scourge is squirrels, but the dog is outside often enough to deter them. My personal, under-deck, groundhog doesn’t bother my stuff at all, he forages in the neighbors’ yards.

Try portable enclosed ( mesh) garden beds..variety of them in the market .

One example is on
Leevalley.com site
called Vegpod Container

@Inspired_2write Interesting idea but for $500.00 I can buy a lot of vegetables at the store!

@janbb
Make your own , but there are a variety of them online in different styles and cheaper as well.
Just look for portable Gardens online.
https://eartheasy.com/diy-portable-garden-cloche-plans/

^^ Fair enough but I’m really looking for what to do with this patch of earth.

@janbb sprinkle ammonia in an area several feet out from the fenced in area. The ammonia won’t really hurt grass (may actually help it grow), but it is noxious to critters. I had a skunk take up residence under my raised deck at my previous home. Once I got him out of there for a little while, I sprinkled ammonia around the deck. The skunk never returned.

Another option is companion planting. Surround your garden with mint or marigolds, possibly thyme, oregano, sage, and/or lavender. Strong smelling plants tend to deter deer, though I’m not sure about bunnies. I would imagine it works the same.

Iis it worth what? You advertise fine dining and the assured concentration of pests will reward your magnaminity with predictable consequences——few of them pleasant.

Absolutely!

I want those critters padded with lots of fat before I run over them on the highway.

Try planting donuts too.

I think this conundrum is delightful. I would be of a mind to plant lettuce and let the animals have a feast.

The solution to maintenance and trouble free bare land is concrete.

Fence?

@Dutchess_III As I said above, there is a low fence but I heard you need a 6 foot fence to keep out deer. It’s not a bad idea though.

If you make it out of chicken wire you could put a top on it.

Jeeeez…I thought you meant you wanted to plant a garden for them and were asking if it was worth the trouble. I was gonna say no. 8^}

I’m pretty sure my neighbor’s fence in TN was 4ft and she grew tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini’s, I’m not sure what else. We had a ton of deer in our area and I don’t think he deer were ever inside the fence. I guess that’s something you could check.

I had another friend a half a mile away who had a raised bed garden and grew all sorts of fruits and veggies.

It can be done. You just need someone who knows what to do in your area I think.

@smudges I thought the same when I first read the main question.

I ask myself this question every spring. I however enjoy the process and will continue to feed the bunnies, deer, woodchucks. The bears own my berry bushes already.

@Forever_Free My raspberry bushes are for the birds!

I just asked a friend in Pittsburgh how he keeps animals away from his beautiful flowers. He said he liberally sprays Liquid Fence on them throughout the growing season.

@Hawaii_Jake Thanks. I guess that’s similar to what I use on the hostas. Will continue to research products.

I asked Google if it was safe for vegetables, and it said the label says it’s safe for vegetables.

However, if it’s not deterring them from eating your hostas, then perhaps you could call a local nursery?

@Hawaii_Jake No, it works quite well on the hostas once I put it on. Thanks!

Thanks all. I’ll also talk to a few gardening friends.

Well, I took the plunge this morning and got a few small tomato plants, two eggplants and some basil to put in my patch. Also, that Liquid Fence deer repellent and some flowers. We’ll see what happens.

@janbb Good luck. A friend uses hand soap shavings around the plants to keep the bunnies away. They said they have done it for years and it has worked for them.

One of my friends uses plastic bags like from the food store. They hang the bags on stakes in the garden. Deer see the bags flapping and it spooks them. Doesn’t look too attractive but apparently it works.