How to Keep Deer Away From Tomato Plants

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Deer love to eat tomato plants, and it takes some guile and ingenuity to keep those big, beautiful animals out of your garden. And don't think your garden is safe just because you live in a subdivision. The deer population continues to rise, and deer can be seen just about anywhere these days as more land is developed. Many gardeners prefer not to use chemicals to deter deer. Poisons can get in the water system, or may harm children or pets. Fortunately, there are alternatives to poisons, including environmentally safe products and homemade deterrents.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Fabric softener sheets
Deodorant soap
Eggs
Wind chimes
Foil tape

Keeping Deer Away

Step 1

Repel deer by introducing smells in and around your garden that they don't like, such as deodorant soap, rotten egg solution and dryer sheets. Rotten egg solution is a mixture deer hate, but it is not offensive to humans. Mix 9 eggs with 2 1/2 gallons of water. Spray it on your tomato plants. This recipe produces enough solution for 1/2 acre of plants. Hang the dryer sheets on a tree or a post. Nail a bar of deodorant soap to a tree or to a post, or put it right on the ground around the garden.
Step 2

Introduce a noise element around your garden with wind chimes or by hanging foil tape, which produces a twinkling or flapping noise whenever there is a slight breeze. This will scare the deer away.
Step 3

Apply an environmentally safe product designed to deter deer.

Tips & Warnings

Change your noise and smell elements from time to time. Deer will grow comfortable with your defense system if it is doesn't change.
Add water to your dryer sheets to refresh the smell every so often.
Fencing is a more expensive deterrent. However, you would need a fence at least 10 feet tall to keep deer from jumping over and still getting in your garden.