Do Deer eat Sunflowers? (And 5+ Tips to keep them away?)

Before I started growing sunflowers, I was unaware that deer also loved them. But now I worried about the possibility of them being eaten by deer, so I took the time to learn how to protect my garden from these deer before planting sunflowers. And guess what? I succeeded and now I’m enjoying my sunflower bloom.

I believe it’s important to share this knowledge rather than keeping it to myself, so I want to share with you the steps you can take if you’re also concerned about deer damaging your sunflowers. Also if you get stuck in any problem, just ask me in the comment section.

Quick takeaways:

• The beautiful flowering plant, the sunflower is a favorite addition of every farmer.
• They are not only loved by humans but various animals are attracted to them.
• One of them is the deer who are great creatures of nature. Do deer eat sunflowers or other animals that eat sunflowers?
• They look magnificent as they tend to walk in the distance. 
• As plants are liked by the deer so if they find them nearby, they cannot stop themselves from eating them. Sunflowers are one of those plants.
• If they find sunflowers near them then they will go forward so that deer can eat the sunflower and sometimes even the whole plant if they are hungry.
• There can be other culprits too behind eating your plants, so you have to find out first, and then conclude. 

Do Deer eat Sunflowers?

Some of the gardeners wonder how they grow the sunflowers with their efforts and hard work. But how the plant is not responding fruitfully. You have to find out the reason behind it. The gardeners who love to plant sunflowers will suffer from the problem that the plants will be eaten by the deer. 

Deer love sunflowers and their leaves. If the sunflowers have attained a good height then also they won’t be speared by the deer. When the plant becomes bigger, the deer tend to roam around them and eat them when they see no one other. 

As sunflower is rich in protein it is a great source for the deer to survive and take energy from it. Younger plants are loved by the deer so they eat them. Deer will not only eat the sunflower, but also the seeds, buds, leaves, and the whole plant if they feel too starved. 

Some signs that will reflect that your plant is eaten by the deer are: 

• If you see piles of marble-like droppings, then they are the culprits.
• You will see their footprints.
• You will see some plants get flattened. 
• If your whole plant is eaten, then deers are responsible. 

5+ Tips to Keep Deer Away

The following tips will for sure help you to get rid of the deer from the sunflowers. Sunflowers are a great addition to any garden, so a grower could not take the risk of spoiling them. So, follow the below tips so that you keep the deer away from your garden: 

• Use the deer deterrent sprays 
• Make use of red cat eyes 
• Grow plants they hate 
• You can use the deer netting 
• Make use of a scarecrow
• Set up fences 

1. Use the deer deterrent sprays 

As it is a common problem that is faced by everyone. So, you will easily get the spray from the market so that you keep the deer away from your garden. The sprays can be rotten eggs and water, soap spray, etc. It needs to be organic otherwise they could harm your vegetation. So, by spraying them near your plants, deer won’t come there again.

2. Make use of red cat eyes 

It is another tip that can help you for sure. You have to use the red cat eyes that will scare the animals that come to your garden for their food such as raccoons, deer, skunks, etc. By seeing this, they will get that there is another predator who can harm them so they do not come there again. 

3. Grow plants they hate 

The easy and affordable way out is to grow those plants in your garden that are not liked by the deer. If your area has abundant deer, then you should plant those plants that are loved by them. Some of the plants that they hate are zinnia, rosemary, marigolds, etc. There are even herbs that are not liked by them so you can plant them too. 

4. You can use the deer netting 

If you have used it earlier then it is great. It is one of the common ways to keep the deer away from the garden. Putting a net around your garden or your plants will be the best option for you to protect them. Though it is tough to hide your plants with this netting, you can do this for their protection. 

5. Make use of a scarecrow 

What about a scarecrow? A fake owl or old scarecrow can help you a lot in getting rid of these animals. They are the predators that can scare the visiting animals so that they do come inside your garden. 

6. Set up fences

Last but not least, you have to keep in mind that if the other tips aren’t helping you out, then you have to choose at least one that could help you so that you protect your sunflowers from the deer. For that, you can set up fences as they won’t be able to cross them if you set their height at 8 feet tall. Though it will be costly you have to do it so that you keep the deer swaying from your garden. 

Concluding lines 

In this guide, you come to know about Deer who love sunflowers and their leaves. If the sunflowers have attained a good height then also they won’t be speared by the deer. When the plant becomes bigger, the deer tend to roam around them and eat them when they see no one other. As sunflower is rich in protein it is a great source for the deer to survive and take energy from it. Younger plants are loved by the deer so they eat them. Read the article carefully so that you can protect your plants and keep the deer away from your garden. 

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