Do Deer Eat Dahlias? Controlling Pests Who Love To Kill Dahlias

Do Deer Eat Dahlias?!

Living in deer country, one of my first questions as a dahlia gardener was, “Do deer eat dahlias?”

You see, these beautiful and graceful creatures have gotten a bad rap in towns and cities across the country. The gardener in me dislikes them, too, especially after they mow down a bed of roses. In fact, I don’t know a single gardener who hasn’t planned a garden with deer in mind.

Do Deer Eat Dahlias – Not Behind THIS Fence!

I live in the high desert in the western United States. Not only are deer common in my area; they are rampant. Why wouldn’t they be? My neighborhood is surrounded by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, where we’re happy to see wildlife flourishing.

As people moved into deer country, deer have either fled or stuck around. We see full families of deer who make their homes in neighborhoods and cities. They’re happy to find food where they can – including in your beautiful garden!

When I moved into my home, one of the first moves I was fortunate enough to make was building a “critter-proof fence.” You see, gardening is one of my life passions! I collect my own flower seeds each year, grow plants from seedling (with success, you can read how I do it here). I even bought my first greenhouse and put it to good use each year.

My 6 Foot Fence

I am, unfortunately, not able to answer the question, “Do deer eat dahlias?” when it comes to my own observations. In my mind, deer don’t eat dahlias that are behind a really tall fence!

Therefore, I have to ask the experts to weigh in on this important question. When I asked some of my favorite dahlia growers the question, “Do deer eat dahlias?” here’s what they told me.

Advice From Expert Dahlia Growers

Erin McMullen is an experienced dahlia grower who owns Rain Drop Farms in Oregon. Erin has been growing dahlias for over 21 years and has a wealth of experience with growing them – and protecting them.

She shares, “We have a lots of deer and they, thankfully, do not bother our dahlias. Now roses, mums and celosia are a different story!” Erin is right – there are clearly some flowers that are deer magnets! In her experience, dahlias are not one of them.

One of the talented dahlia growers, Allison Chase from Facebook’s The Dahlia Daughters, tells her experience with deer and dahlias. She has been growing (alongside her mom and sister) for over 20 years.

She shares, “I have deer and they don’t have a liking to the dahlias. A few times they have nibbled and spit them out.” She shares her secret, “I do spray the rest of my garden with Bobbex.”

If you are a gardener with a deer problem, then I highly recommend you look at Bobbex Deer Repellant spray. I see it mentioned across the spectrum of garden growers. It comes in handy pump bottles with nozzle sprayers, making it super easy to apply.

Beautiful Dahlias from The Dahlia Daughters

Finally, dahlia-growing guru Connie Thompson weighs in on her experience with deer and dahlias.

Connie is a master dahlia gardener, seller, and owner of Connie’s Dahlias ~ a thriving dahlia tuber supplier from Canada. (Between me and you, Connie is the QUEEN of dahlia growing! She operates and moderates three huge dahlia groups on Facebook – Connie’s Dahlias, Dahlia Information on Growing and Exhibiting, and Dahlias. In short: Listen to Connie!)

Connie’s Dahlias

On deer, Connie says, “If you live where your neighbor feeds the deer next door or you have 6 deer living on your front lawn, don’t waste your money on tubers – the deer will eat them. That is, unless your backyard is totally deer-fenced with 7 ft tall fencing. If you live on acreage like I do, there is lots of food for the deer to eat out in the fields and they don’t bother the dahlias at all.”

Other Strategies to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden

If you find that the deer are pestering your dahlias or other beauties in your garden, there are a few other options on the market to help.

Read the reviews and decide for yourself ~ will this keep the deer out of my yard? It’s hard to tell, since (as our guests said above) deer will eat anything…they may not enjoy it.

Here are some of the most popular options for keeping deer out of the yard.

Deer Repellent

One method of keeping deer out of your yard is to use chemicals that deter them from coming in at all. Many gardeners swear by these treatments. They do require reapplication as they break down over time. But for each growing season, it’s a small price to pay to protect your hard work. Check out some of the most popular types here.

Ultrasonic Waves

Technology is a powerful tool! In fact, we’ve used ultrasonic tools such as these deer repellers to keep birds and other critters away. If you check out the reviews for these products on Amazon, the results are mixed – with many people raving about them.

Barriers

When all else fails, a powerful barrier or deer fence is a great way to protect your garden.

When I lived in a town where deer frequented my yard, I would simply edge my favorite beds with deer fencing and that seemed to do the trick. Deer don’t like to work too hard to get food, especially when the garden down the street is available.

Should I Worry About the Deer? That Depends

As you can see from our experts, dahlias can be delicious deer food, but there are ways to protect them from pesky deer. Look at your yard in its entirety to decide. These questions should help guide you on the question, “Do deer eat dahlias in my yard?”

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do deer frequent your area from May – September?

If so, do deer sweep through your yard and mow down anything in their way?

How much do you love your dahlias? 🙂

Is it possible to plant your dahlia tubers behind a fence or in an area with pet protection? (My dog is a great protector! Others swear by big brother/big sister llamas!)

Are there other things they’d prefer to eat, such as Connie described above?
If deer frequent your yard, does Bobbex deer repellent work for you?

My Other Dahlia Protection: Betty the Labradoodle

Betty the labradoodle is our newest dog! You can read all about our new family friend and her breed here. I also LOVE standard poodles! We lost our dog Emmett in 2019. Check out our love for this sweet boy and standard poodles here. They are GREAT farm and family dogs!

Pests Who Will Destroy Dahlias

In my experience, the question, “Do deer eat dahlias?” is the least of my worries!

In my many years of growing dahlias, the greater issues I’ve dealt with included spider mites and insidious bacterial infections of Leafy Gall and Crown Gall. Other dahlia growers say they struggle to manage aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, and a multitude of fungal, viral and bacterial infections.

Join one of Connie’s Facebook Dahlia groups to learn great strategies on how to manage these pests.

So back to our important question – do deer eat dahlias?

It’s an age-old joke: Deer will eat anything! They may not like it, but they’ll try it.

I’d love to hear your experience with deer and dahlias! Leave a comment below for your fellow gardeners. We need all the help we can get from each other to protect our beautiful blooms!

Happy Gardening!

Do Deer Eat Dahlias? Controlling Pests Who Love Your Flowers