Do Deer Eat Tomato Plants? 6 Ways to Stop Them

Believe it or not, deer eat tomatoes. They are attracted to the smell of tomato plants, regardless of the variety. And after deer eat tomatoes, they may develop a taste for them.

“Many varieties of tomatoes are readily available in home gardens and are not well protected, making them easy targets,” said Nancy Trautz-Awot, a Burpee horticulturist. “If there are a lot of deer and not a lot of natural food sources, deer will eat just about anything.”

We spoke to experts to find out how to decipher the signs that deer have eaten your tomatoes. Read on to determine if deer are really the culprit behind any damaged or missing tomato plants, and learn how to keep deer away from your tomato plants.

Do deer eat tomatoes?

Yes. According to Natasha Gibbs, a gardening educator at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, deer are foragers, meaning they will eat anything they can.

Although tomatoes are not a favorite food of this animal, deer will still munch on both the fruit and the leaves, especially when no other food source is available.

“Tomatoes have a high water content, which makes them attractive to deer and squirrels during drought,” she added.

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6 Signs That Deer Are Eating Your Tomato Plants

• Torn leaves: Check for jagged leaves. This is a sign that a deer has been to the tree. “Deer leave ragged edges on leaves and stems because they don’t have incisors and use a pulling motion to eat,” says Trautz-Awot.
• The top part of the plant is eaten: The top portion of the plant, 3-4 feet tall, is eaten while the rest of the plant is left intact. This is the level of grazing for deer, Trautz-Awot explains. “Also, the new growth is very tender, and deer will often eat that first.”
• Widespread damage: “Unlike smaller animals, deer can cause widespread damage as they move from tree to tree,” says Trautz-Awot. Deer tend to travel together and will graze trees together.
• New damage: Trautz-Awot said deer do the most damage at dusk and dawn because that’s when the animals like to feed and come out of the woods to graze. She recommends checking for new damage early in the morning.
• Bite a lot: While smaller animals will leave small bites on your tomatoes, deer can eat larger pieces at once.
• Deer tracks: Gibbs suggests looking for deer tracks or trampled areas in your yard. Deer will leave these tracks in large numbers because they tend to graze together and leave lots of footprints.

6 Ways to Protect Tomato Plants from Deer

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to prevent deer from eating tomato plants.

Create a physical barrier

Experts say this method is the most effective. Gibbs recommends using chicken wire or deer netting to fence around your vegetable garden. Deer barriers like this will make it harder for deer to taste your tomatoes.

“Just make sure to install a fence that is at least 8 feet high around your yard to keep them out,” says Trautz-Awot, because deer can easily climb over a 7-foot fence.

Use deer repellants

Gibbs says there are a number of natural deer repellants you can use, such as blood meal, a dry powder made from animal blood, which can be an effective organic deer repellent.

Deer don’t want to be anywhere that predators are hunting. So sprinkling blood meal on tomato leaves and around the base of plants will make deer think predators are nearby.

“Remember that blood meal will wash away when it rains, so multiple applications are needed,” says Gibbs.

Also, you may need to change your repellent as deer can get used to the smell. Gibbs suggests sprinkling cayenne pepper on your tomato plants as another option.

Motion Activated Sprinkler Setup

The shy nature of deer makes them easily startled.

“Motion-activated sprinklers keep them away from your tomato plants,” says Gibbs. And since sprinklers only spray water, this method is both effective and harmless to deer.

Use essential oils

Deer have a very strong sense of smell, which they use to find food. But you can use this survival trait to safely repel deer. Spray your plants with essential oils that they don’t like, such as mint, rosemary, or lavender. Another alternative is to plant these herbs around your tomato plants to help protect them from deer, says Gibbs.

Spend time in the garden

Just as deer naturally avoid being around predators, they naturally avoid humans, so if you stay in your garden, deer will be less likely to want to come and taste your tomatoes.

“Spend time in your vegetable garden during prime deer feeding hours: dawn and dusk,” says Gibbs.

Deer Food

Although it may seem counterintuitive, planting some deer food will help keep them away from your tomato plants.

“Deer love lettuce, strawberries and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kale and broccoli,” says Gibbs.

Just make sure to plant these plants in areas where you don’t want deer to go. Gibbs recommends planting them around the edges of your garden to keep them from attacking your tomato plants.