Somewhere long ago and far away some deity with more time on his hands than sense must have decided that tomato plants should taste good to deer. Not just the leaves and fruit, mind you, but the whole friggin plant! I did a little research and was mildly surprised to discover that deer are ruminants just like cattle. That is, they both have four stomachs and go after greens. Unlike cattle, however deer are browsers while cows are grazers. Without going into detail, what this means is that deer require a slightly higher caliber diet than do their brethren livestock. They also like to eat more frequently, but in small amounts than the grazers do. The bottom line is that good old Odocoileus virginianus (or white-tailed deer to the rest of us) will just about eat anything in the garden that isn’t tied down. Not only do they love the entire tomato plant but likewise for those prized pepper varieties that take forever to grow. So, if you have deer where you live you need to come up with a plan to protect yourself from their glutinous habits. I have found that simple barricades are just not enough. If you really want to be safe, plan on erecting a fence or other similar barrier. That’s my plan for next year!
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