by Matt Lollar | Mar 13, 2025
Attracting wildlife is one of the Florida Friendly Landscaping principles. However, some species are better observed from long distance. Deer are beautiful creatures and taste pretty good too, but they can wreak havoc to a landscape and to fruits and vegetables. There are a number of methods to deter deer, but you’ll need to keep them guessing to limit damage to your yard.
A plant cage formed from metal fencing. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, UF/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
Physical Barriers – This deterrent method may be the most effective if installed correctly, but it can also be costly and requires the most labor and engineering to install.
- Temporary Deer Fencing – Plastic mesh fencing can temporarily keep deer away from plantings. This material can be draped over plants or attached to posts or fencing with plastic ties or wire.
- Hardware Cloth and Seedling Tubing – Hardware cloth can be formed into different shapes or secured to small structures to form a barrier around small plants. UV-inhibited polyethylene and polypropylene mesh seedling tubes can be bent into cylinders and placed around young shrubs and trees to protect them from foraging deer and other wildlife.
- Garden Fencing – There are a variety of gauges available for this fencing. Heavier gauges are recommended to help keep deer out. It’s important to note that most adult deer can jump 7 feet high, so a fence height of at least 8 feet is recommended.
- Electric Fencing – Peanut butter can be spread on a single strand of electric wire to encourage deer to check it out. More permanent electric fences can be installed, but are significantly more expensive.
Scare Items – Deer are skittish to things that are unfamiliar to them. However, it doesn’t take them long to adapt.
- Ribbons and Tape – Light-weight ribbons and tape fluttering in the wind can help deter deer. Holographic and iridescent foil materials have shown the best results because they reflect sunlight and create more noise in the wind.
- Motion Activated Sprinklers – Hitting a deer directly and the sound of water being turned on are deterrents for deer and other wildlife. It is best to periodically move the location of these sprinklers to improve their effectiveness.
- Noisemakers – Whistles, firecrackers, and propane cannons can annoy deer, and people too. Unfortunately, deer become accustomed to these tactics. It is best to use noisemakers in combination with other deterrent methods.
- Dogs – Just having a dog around can help keep deer away. Even if it’s a dog that has no care to bark at or chase a deer, its scent alone may be enough to deter them.
A motion activated sprinkler used to deter wildlife from a raised bed garden. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, UF/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
Chemical Repellents – A plethora of chemicals are marketed as deer deterrents. These products can work as odors, create bad tastes, or incite fear. Common ingredients include capsaicin, predator urine, egg solids, garlic, and soap. A number of factors can contribute to the effectiveness of chemical repellents including the growth stage of the plants to be protected and frequency of reapplication,
Resistant Plants – Deer eat almost anything. They sometimes even eat so-called “deer resistant plants”. However, the plants listed below are less desirable to deer. For a more comprehensive list of plant susceptibility to deer damage please visit the archived publication “Ornamental plant susceptibility to damage by deer in Florida”.
- Trees – Deer will rub on almost any tree, but a few they are less likely to eat include: bottlebrush, sabal palm, crape myrtle, edible fig, loquat, live oak, magnolia, and yaupon holly.
- Shrubs – Some shrubs that deer are less likely to eat include: mahonia, viburnum, wax myrtle, juniper, and most evergreen azaleas.
- Annuals and Perennials – There are quite a few annuals and perennials that have shown signs of resistance to deer including: black-eyed Susan, bush daisy, cone flower, dusty miller, marigold, and salvia.
More detailed information on wildlife deterrents can be found in the publication “How to Use Deterrents to Stop Damage Caused by Nuisance Wildlife in Your Yard”.
by Matt Lollar | Jan 30, 2025
Planting annuals is a great way to add color and texture to the landscape. Annuals can provide an added visual component to the garden regardless of if they’re planted in the ground or in containers, or even better—both. An annual plant completes its life cycle (growing, flowering, seed set, and death) in a single growing season. Annuals can stay in good health and last longer if they are pruned back when they get leggy and by pinching off any fading flowers (deadheading). To help plan your garden beds and container plantings please click below to enlarge the image of the handy “North Florida Annual Planting Guide”. Please note the suggested planted dates in this guide are based on average monthly temperatures, but every year is different. Some years we may have a late frost around Easter, other years we won’t have a cold front after February.
by Matt Lollar | Jan 2, 2025
It’s a new year and if you’re still contemplating resolutions, here’s one for you. Stay organized with your vegetable planting schedule. Since it’s January, let’s start with what you can do now. Crops like beets, broccoli, and Brussels are best planted as transplants in January. But carrots and celery can be started from seed and potatoes can be planted as seed potatoes, which are usually pieces of potato tubers containing at least 3 buds (eyes). January is also a good time to start transplants indoors for the spring garden. Tomato and pepper transplants can be planted in the garden as early as February or March depending on the year. If all this planting talk is overwhelming, then at least consider collecting and mailing off a soil sample for nutrient analysis. More information on soil testing can be found on askIFAS. This will give you a head start on adjusting pH with lime and improving soil health with compost and other organic materials. To help plan this “Year of the Vegetable Garden” please click below to enlarge the image of the handy “Florida Panhandle Planting Guide”.
by Matt Lollar | Nov 13, 2024
A planted tree with water retention berm. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
Extension agents are frequently tasked with evaluation of unhealthy plants in the landscape. They diagnose all sorts of plant problems including those caused by disease infection, insect infiltration, or improper culture.
When evaluating trees, one problem that often comes to the surface is improper tree installation. Although poorly installed trees may survive for 10 or 15 years after planting, they rarely thrive and often experience a slow death.
Fall is an excellent time to plant a tree in Florida. A couple of weeks ago beautiful Nuttall Oak was planted at Bagdad Mill Site Park in Santa Rosa County, FL. Here are 11 easy steps to follow for proper tree installation:
- Look around and up for wire, light poles, and buildings that may interfere with growth;
- Dig a shallow planting hole as wide as possible;
- Find the point where the top-most root emerges from the trunk;
- Slide the tree carefully into the planting hole;
- Position the point where the top-most root emerges from the trunk slightly above the landscape soil surface;
- Straighten the tree in the hole;
- Remove synthetic materials from around trunk and root ball;
- Slice a shovel down in to the back fill;
- Cover the exposed sides of the root ball with mulch and create water retention berm;
- Stake the tree if necessary;
- Come back to remove hardware after establishment.
Digging a properly sized hole for planting a tree. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
Removing synthetic material from the root ball. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
Straightening a tree and adjusting planting height. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida – Santa Rosa County
For more detailed information on planting trees and shrubs visit this UF/IFAS Website – “Steps to Planting a Tree”.
For more information Nuttall Oaks visit this University of Arkansas Website.
by Matt Lollar | Oct 8, 2024
On a recent family walk, I noticed something pretty obvious. One of our neighbors had a broken irrigation head. Luckily this is an easy fix, because a new rotor can just be screwed into place. But seeing the amount of water running into the street got me thinking about some additional ways to save water. Scroll down for some water saving tips based on the 9 Principles for Florida Friendly Landscaping.
Water runoff from a broken irrigation head. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
4 Ways to Save Water
- Pick the right plant for the right place. Turf is an excellent choice for catching runoff in the situation pictured above. However, it’s important to evaluate your yard based on the amount of sunlight received throughout the day. Once you’ve determined if you need sun loving, shade loving, or plants that can handle a little of both, you’ll want to check how well your soil drains. Some plants can handle wet conditions better than others. Use the FFL Plant Guide to help pick the plants for your space.
- Irrigate based on plant requirements. Plants like to be watered thoroughly to the extent of their rootzones. For turf, we recommend irrigating deeply and infrequently early in the morning. This method encourages the roots to grow deep to reach the water needed. Most established trees and shrubs don’t need supplemental irrigation unless we’re going through an extended period of drought. Review the Summary of Turf and Landscape Irrigation Recommendations to help determine the amount of water your yard needs.
- Calibrate the irrigation system. If you have an irrigation system, then you need to make sure it’s calibrated. To do this, you’ll first need to make sure your system doesn’t have any leaks or broken heads and redirect heads to water plants instead of the driveway, sidewalk, or road. Next, you’ll need to determine how long to run your system based on water output. The run time test is detailed on the UF/IFAS Calibrating Your Irrigation System webpage.
- Use mulch around trees and shrubs. Mulch can help hold moisture and conserve water. It’s important to keep mulch to between 2 and 3 inches deep and at least 2 inches away from the base of trees and shrubs. There’s a lot more information on Choosing and Installing Mulches on the Gardening Solutions website.
Following these simple tips will ensure that you’re watering efficiently and effectively. If you have additional questions about irrigation or just about anything plant related, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.
