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Do Deer Eat Sunflowers – Detailed Information

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Sunflowers are the most popular annual crops grown for agricultural purposes. The most popular sunflower oil is made from them, eaten fried, used in cooking, and excellent honey plants. 

Although they are mainly grown in the fields, they can be planted as an excellent ornamental plant in your country house. Moreover, when the seeds are ripe, they can be eaten both fresh and fried. 

It will take about 2.5-5 months to ripen, depending on the specific variety and the growing region. The main advantage of growing sunflowers is that they are easy to care for and do not require special manipulations when sowing seeds.

You will find deer around the sunflower garden. So, do deer eat sunflowers?

Do Deer Eat Sunflowers
BABY DEER IN SUNFLOWERS via Pixy

Do Deer Eat Sunflowers?

Yes, deer love eating sunflowers and, more so, the leaves. Even if they are very high, they are not protected from deer reaching them.

Many people think that the sunflowers are a good breed in the field but are also good to the deer. Sunflowers are rich in protein, which makes them the favorite food source.

Growing seed heads and young sunflower plants are delicious and attract many deer. As a result, many gardeners have a problem trying to deter the deer from reaching their garden. If you don’t know how to prevent them, they may ruin the garden.

Benefits Of Sunflowers To The Human Being

Frequent consumption of sunflower seeds optimizes sexual function and increases libido. Vitamin E is responsible for this factor, which has a positive effect on the reproductive system and muscle function. Vitamin A, which is also found in the seeds, activates the production of sex hormones. 

For a better healing effect, it is recommended to use raw or slightly dried grains because heat treatment inhibits the biologically active components of the seeds.

They are an excellent addition to the diet if a man plays sports. Raw, refined seeds have a strengthening effect on the muscles. Eating a handful or adding raw grains to meals every day is better and more effective for damage to muscle or bone.

How To Drive Deer Away From Sunflower Garden?

1. Fold some of the leftover hair into a sock or stocking

Hang a sock or stocking in your garden for the same purpose. Layout more at the end of the beds and between them in the garden itself and on the sunflowers. The sock or stocking should have an attractive and aesthetic appearance. 

It would be best if you did scare away deer and maintain the beautiful appearance of sunflowers. The pathetic, old sock or stocking of a disgusting color will ruin the look of your garden, and neighbors may think that you have bad taste.

2. Plant plants that deer don’t like

A hungry or overly curious deer will eat almost anything. It would be best if you grow plants that don’t like to prevent them from eating sunflowers.

Among the plants that deer dislike are ornamental grasses, iris, foxglove, yucca, some herbs, and flowers with a strong smell, such as sage, green onions, lemongrass, monarda, etc. They also dislike plants with thorns, for example, echinacea purpurea, but appetizing roses are an exception to the rule.

You should also know what kind of plants will lure deer into your garden. Tulips, chrysanthemums, hyacinths, roses, apples, beans, peas, raspberries, strawberries, corn, hosta, dogwood, fruit trees, maple, yew, and azalea will lure deer.

Sometimes such plants are planted away from the sunflower garden to direct the animals to the side.

3. Find a deer remedy

There are many options for such deterrents. You can buy one from a garden store or gardening department. These products should be used following the instructions. 

Alternatives for home use include naphthalene, barbed wire, thick fish heads, blood and bone meal, garlic, fabric softener, and others.

Not all of these options are environmentally friendly because naphthalene is a dangerous chemical and may contain unpleasant active ingredients, depending on the composition. 

And then, consider the odor factor; if some of the products are too smelly, you probably won’t want to enjoy these scents in your garden.

4. Use deer scaring techniques that create noise or light

There are many ways to deter deer from sunflowers, and they can be quite effective when combined with other control measures. A bright motion sensor can scare off deer at night, while shiny objects like CDs and strips of metallic tape blowing in the wind can bounce light off animals during the day. 

For noise, you can use a pipe, gas weapons (they are usually not cheap and are used to guard vineyards and plantings), radio noise (connect it to light sensors), whistles, and firecrackers.

5. Create barriers

This can be a fence, invisible line, and sprinklers around the sunflower garden triggered by a hook. The fences must be at least 2 meters high or create obstacles for jumping, for example, wire or net; otherwise, some deer will be able to jump over the fence without any problems.

For the sake of the economy, it may be more expedient to fence off individual plants than all of your land. An electrically charged fence can be made for a small fee if you are not opposed to such drastic measures. 

6. Get a dog

Deer do not like dogs because a dog is a natural predator for deer. At the same time, your dog should freely walk in the yard or on the territory of the sunflower garden, not be on a short leash or closed in the house. In addition, when buying a dog for these purposes, choose a medium or large animal.

7. Regularly tag your backyard

If this is too unacceptable for you, collect urine in a small bucket. Next, take an old spray bottle, fill it with your urine and spray a little around the garden. You have to use a separate spray for this, which you will never use for anything else. Make an inscription on the bottle that you can understand.

8. Don’t feed the deer

Feeding makes them perceive your sunflowers as a source of food and will cause neighbors to dislike you. It will also lure them into the traffic area, creating the risk of accidents when animals roam near roads.

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Conclusion

Sunflowers are important plants to have in your garden. Their seeds are important because they provide the necessary dose of vitamin E, which is necessary for the human body in the fight against terrible diseases.

However, deer can cause wreak havoc on them will destroy them. Indeed, they do not only eat grass but also eat sunflowers. With this article, I know you have gotten full information.