What vegetables will deer eat?

Asked by: Stephanie Johnson

When food is scarce, deer eat just about anything, including prickly-stemmed okra and hot peppers. Vegetables that deer seem to prefer include beans, lettuce, cabbage, and cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

Do deer eat tomatoes or cucumbers?

As herbivores, deer like to snack on bushes, plants, fruit trees, and nuts or acorns. Tomatoes are one type of vegetable that deer enjoy eating, but they can eat many others. They also like to eat peppers, squash, cucumbers, beet greens, beans, grapes, and strawberries, as well as other vegetables and fruit from trees.

What do deer love to eat the most?

Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass. Although these are the main foods deer like to eat, the quantity of these different foods differ throughout the year and the region you are hunting.

Do deer eat potatoes and carrots?

Deer also love lettuce, leafy greens, pears, spinach, turnip, cauliflower, carrot tops, kohlrabi, peas, strawberries, plums, sweet potatoes and sweetcorn.

What vegetables are toxic to deer?

Deer Resistant Vegetables and Herbs

Certain plants, such as rhubarb, are toxic to deer. Deer usually also avoid root vegetables (which require digging) and prickly vegetables such as cucumbers and squashes with hairy leaves. Cultivars with strong odors such as onions, garlic and fennel are not palatable to deer.

Do Deers eat carrots?

Carrots are root vegetables and can be found in a number of colors such as orange, purple, red, and yellow. Once in a carrot garden, deer will dig up the carrots and eat them. A garden full of carrots is one of the quickest ways to attract a population of deer.

What food can deer not resist?

5 Deer Attractants Bucks Seem Unable Resist

• Deer Cane Black Magic. Cabela’s. Black Magic by Evolved Habitat has made its mark in the deer attractant category. …
• Apple-Flavored Attractants. Amazon. …
• Orange-Flavored Deer Corn. Orange Corn Company. …
• C’mere Deer. Bass Pro Shops. …
• Tecomate. Amazon.

Will deer eat my vegetable garden?

In the vegetable garden, deer tend to enjoy most of the crops you do, with the exception of rhubarb, asparagus, and garlic. Some gardeners report that deer don’t favor onions or tomatoes, but other gardeners insist they do.

Do deer eat tomatoes or tomato plants?

While deer are often a welcome sight, it’s never a good thing to discover the tops of your precious tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) and their fruits eaten because of them. Deer will eat almost any foliage they can get when they’re really hungry, and your tomato plants are no exception.

Will deer eat tomato plants?

Deer love tomatoes, but other plants in your garden might also be at risk. Other favorites of the deer are the Swiss chard, strawberries, sweet corn, raspberries, and some varieties of beans.

Do deer like to eat marigolds?

All varieties of marigolds are a turnoff for deer because of their strong, pungent scent. However, signet marigolds (pictured) have a lighter citrusy smell and flavor, making them popular for culinary use. Learn more about growing marigolds.

Do deer eat green beans?

Do deer eat green beans? Yes, they do and will most likely eat entire gardens of green beans to the ground.

Will deer eat potato tops?

Yes, they do, especially the sweet potato variety. They will also eat other potatoes, including toxic potato leaves if hungry enough.

Will deer eat zucchini squash?

Deer and vegetables

Deer do not like zucchini. But, they will eat all parts of the plant to the ground if the circumstances are right. Suppose you wish to grow deer resistant vegetables. In that case, you can also add fennel, garlic, cucumber, rhubarb, and hairy varieties of squash.

Can deer eat celery?

Do deer eat celery? Yes, they do. Deer will eat your celery plants to the ground if you let them.

Can deer eat asparagus?

Plants of the cabbage family are not deer resistant, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale. Deer avoid mature asparagus plants, but deer and many other animals love the new shoots.

Do deer eat potato skins?

Yes deers will eat anything during the winter including potato peels.

Do deer eat basil plants?

The scale ranges from deer sometimes nip off flowers, but leave the foliage alone to deer avoid the plant altogether. The deer-resistant herbs with these high ratings include basil, Greek oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Do deer eat apples?

Waste apples and potatoes are palatable to deer and contain ample calories, but are not a healthy stand-alone diet. Fruits and spuds are high in water and too low in protein and fiber for wintering deer. If deer cannot access high quality natural forages around your feeder, they will not thrive.

Should I cut up apples for deer?

Items you will need

Use more apples once you begin to see deer at the feeding spot. Cut the slices of apples into smaller pieces and place into a bowl.

Are bananas good for deer?

Bananas are not a regular part of a deer’s diet. However, if someone puts the fruit out for the deer, they will likely not refuse the offer. A banana offers copious amounts of potassium and fiber. However, beyond that, the fruit does not contain any nutrients that a deer would require.