How do you protect arborvitae from deer?

Category: home and garden landscaping
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Top 3 Best Ways to Protect Arborvitae from Deer
  1. Use deer repellent. Repellent spray is one of the more common ways to control deer feeding.
  2. Try netting, burlap or mesh. Installing a physical barrier around your arborvitae tree is the best way to keep deer out.
  3. Swap 'em for deer-resistant arborvitaes.



Likewise, people ask, will arborvitae grow back after deer eat them?

What to Do When a Deer Eats Your Arborvitae Branches. Bare branches without needles likely won't grow back after a deer's gotten to them. Trim off the branches that are bare, brown or beyond repair. Then, give it water, fertilizer and protect it from deer next season.

Secondly, what animals eat arborvitae? Mice and voles also leave clean cuts on branches, but the gnaw marks are smaller than those of rabbits. Mice and voles do most of their damage at night. Besides eating the branches of the arborvitae, they also eat the bark of young trees. Mice and voles are also tunnelers, so the tree roots become a food source.

Regarding this, are any arborvitae deer resistant?

The majority of arborvitae varieties are not deer-resistant. These include the "Green Giant", trademarked Spring Grove and "Zebrina" varieties of the western or giant arborvitae (Thuja plicata), flourishing in USDA zones 5 to 8. "Green Giant" attains up to 50 feet in height, with very little spread in width.

Do pine needles grow back after deer eat them?

Browsing deer inflict significant damage to young pine trees. When deer eat pine tree foliage, needles, buds and stems may quickly regrow in the spring. If shape and form are not seriously damaged, no control may be needed.

39 Related Question Answers Found

Can you cut the top of arborvitae?

Arborvitaes do not need to be topped. Pruning the top off an arborvitae halts vertical growth and creates a large, unsightly area lacking green needles.

What smell repels deer?

Repellent plants are those that are highly aromatic, in the offensive scent category for deer. These are often perennial herbs such as artemisia, tansy, and yarrow. Culinary herbs such as mint, thyme, tarragon, oregano, dill, and chives can also be interplanted throughout the garden.

Do deer like to eat arborvitae?

Arborvitae (Thuja spp.) make a particularly tasty snack for deer. Depending on the type, the trees grow from 10 to 200 feet tall and are used in the landscape as ornamental trees, hedges or privacy screens. They have red-brown bark and scaly leaves -- the latter of which deer will eat when necessary.

How do you keep deer from eating evergreens?

Apply Deer Repellent
  1. Deer repellent is a great first line of defense.
  2. Treat all of your shrubs and young trees.
  3. >>
  4. Wrap shrubs in burlap or cover them in temporary netting for the season to encourage deer to seek out easier food sources (burlap also protects broadleaved evergreens from drying out over the winter).

Should I trim my arborvitae?


Arborvitae will withstand heavy pruning and shearing because new branches develop from concealed buds in the branch crotches. Prune in early spring or mid-summer. When heavy pruning is necessary, prune before new growth begins in early spring so that new growth conceals pruning cuts. Do not prune into this area.

Will arborvitae grow back after turning brown?

Arborvitae branches whose foliage turns brown (entirely) due to winter burn may not come back, but there is no sense in being hasty about pruning (you never know), so hold off on pruning until well into the spring or even summer.

Can you overwater arborvitae?

Symptoms of Overwatering
Although arborvitae enjoys moist soil, it requires adequate drainage and will suffer if over-watered. Symptoms of excessive water around arborvitae roots are similar to those of drought stress and include foliage discoloration or dieback.

How far do you plant arborvitae apart?

The recommended spacing for Emerald Green Arborvitae Trees is 2-3 feet apart if you are using it for privacy. If you want quicker privacy, plant them about 2 feet apart. Emerald Green Arborvitae Trees typically grow about 3-4 feet wide.

Are emerald green arborvitaes deer resistant?

Emerald green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis "Emerald Green") is a widely used landscape shrub for hedges, screening, and flanking entryways in zones 3 to 7. While it has many positive attributes -- winter color, a pyramidal form and superior heat and cold tolerance -- it is not deer-resistant.

What evergreens are deer resistant?


Deer Resistant Evergreens for Privacy Screens
  • Norway Spruce. Picea abies.
  • Green Giant Arborvitae. Thuja standish x plicata 'Green Giant'
  • Virescens Arborvitae. Thuja plicata 'Virescens'
  • Leyland Cypress. Cupressus × leylandii.
  • Skip Laurel. Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis'
  • Yellow Groove Bamboo.
  • Clumping Bamboo.

Is the Thuja Green Giant deer resistant?

Thuja Green Giant – Because it has genes from the Redcedar, this plant, the best hedging plant you can grow, is also resistant to deer.

Are bottle brush trees deer resistant?

Aesculus parviflora (Bottlebrush Buckeye): Stately specimen that forms a spreading, mounded shrub with tall, pyramidal spikes to white flowers in July. Shade tolerant.

What is the best deer repellent?

The 7 Best Deer Repellents
  • Bobbex Deer Repellent 2.5 Gallon Concentrated Spray (Our Top Pick)
  • Deer Out 32oz Concentrate Deer Repellent.
  • I Must Garden Deer Repellent – Spice Scent.
  • Enviro Pro 1025 Deer Scram Repellent Granular White Pail.
  • Univerayo Deer Repeller.
  • Hoont Motion Activated Jet Blaster.

Are Redbuds deer resistant?

Redbud are native to North America and therefore considered not particularly appealing to deer. However, a hungry deer will eat almost anything and the larger the deer population, the more competition there is for food.

Are red twig dogwood deer resistant?


Additionally, the Red Twig Dogwood is deer resistant. This in itself makes for a great contender to our “plants we love” list, due to the fact that we know so many gardeners and landscapes that are frequented by many deer.

How do you keep deer away from trees?

How to Protect Your Trees and Plants from Deer
  1. Eliminate deer attractants.
  2. Keep deer-attracting plants closer to your home.
  3. Maintain your landscape.
  4. Spray them with a motion-activated sprinkler.
  5. Add levels to your yard.
  6. Let your dog spend plenty of time in the yard.
  7. Use plants and shrubs as taste-based repellents.

Are Leyland cypress trees deer resistant?

Deer Resistance
Leyland cypress frequently sustains deer damage, according to the West Virginia University Extension. This cypress has soft, fine foliage, which deer prefer to rough or prickly leaves.