Do Deer Eat Tomato Plants? 6 Ways to Deter Them

Believe it or not, deer do eat tomatoes. They are attracted to the tomato plant’s smell, regardless of the tomato variety. And after a deer eats a tomato, they may develop a taste for it.

“Many tomatoes are often accessible in the home garden and not well-protected, making them easy targets,” Nancy Trautz-Awot, a horticulturist at Burpee, says. “If there are a lot of deer and not many natural sources of food, deer will eat almost anything.”

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

Do Deer Eat Tomatoes?

Yes. According to Natasha Gibbs, a garden educator at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, explains how deer are foragers which means they will eat whatever they can.

Although tomatoes are not the animal’s favorite treat, deer will still munch on both the fruit and the foliage, especially when there is a lack of other food sources.

“Tomato fruits have a high water content, making them attractive to deer—and squirrels—during times of drought,” she adds.

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6 Signs Deer Are Eating Your Tomato Plants

• Torn leaves: Check to see if the leaves are left jagged. This is a telltale sign a deer has been at the plant. “Deer leave torn edges on leaves and stems because they don’t have incisors and use a pulling action to eat,” Trautz-Awot says.
• The tops of the plants are eaten: The tops of the plants, at a height of 3-4 feet, are eaten while the rest of the plant is left untouched. Trautz-Awot explains how this is the grazing level for deer. “Also, the new growth is tender, and the deer will usually eat that first.”
• Widespread damage: “Unlike small animals, deer can cause widespread damage as they move from plant to plant,” Trautz-Awot, says. Deer tend to travel together and will graze on plants together.
• New damage: Trautz-Awot says that deer do the most damage during dusk and dawn since this is the time the animals prefer to eat and come out of the woods to graze. Check for fresh damage early in the morning, she recommends.
• Large bites: While smaller animals will leave tiny bites in your tomatoes, deer can eat bigger pieces at once.
• Deer tracks: Gibbs suggests looking for deer tracks or trampled areas in your garden. Deer will leave these in larger quantities as they tend to graze together and leave many footprints.

6 Ways to Protect Tomato Plants from Deer

Fortunately, there are several ways to deter deer from eating tomato plants. 

Create a Physical Barrier

This method is the most effective, experts say. Gibbs recommends using chicken wire or deer netting to build a fence around your vegetable garden. Deer barriers such as these will make it less easy for deer to sample your tomatoes.

“Just be sure to install a tall fence at least 8 feet high around your garden to keep them out,” Trautz-Awot, says. This is because deer can easily scale a 7-foot fence.

Use Deer Repellent

There are some natural deer repellents you can use like blood meal, which is a dry powder made from animal blood, that can be an effective organic deer repellant, Gibbs says.

Deer won’t want to be anywhere a predator may have just been hunting. So, sprinkling blood meal on the tomato foliage and around the base of the plants will make deer think a predator is nearby.

“Keep in mind that blood meal washes away with rain, so multiple applications will be necessary,” Gibbs says.

At the same time, you might need to switch up the repellents you use since deer can get used to the smell. Gibbs suggests sprinkling cayenne pepper on your tomato plants as another option.

Set Up Motion-Activated Sprinklers 

Naturally skittish, deer are easily startled.

“Motion-activated sprinklers prevent them from getting close to your tomato plants,” Gibbs says. And because the sprinklers are just shooting water, this method is both effective and will not harm the deer.

Use Essential Oils

Deer have a strong sense of smell, as they use this to forage for food. But you can take advantage of this survival trait to safely repel deer. Spray your plants with essential oils they dislike such as mint, rosemary, or lavender. Another alternative is growing these herbs around your tomato plants to help protect them from the deer, Gibbs says.

Spend Time in the Garden

Just as they prefer not to be around predators, deer naturally also avoid people. So, if you are in your garden, deer are less likely to want to come to taste your tomatoes.

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

Plant Food for the Deer

While it might seem counterintuitive, planting some food for the deer will keep them away from your tomatoes.

“Deer love lettuce, strawberries, and vegetables in the brassica family such as cabbage, kale, and broccoli,” Gibbs says.

Just be sure to plant these in areas you don’t want deer to be. Gibbs recommends growing these plants around the edges of your garden, so it deters them from targeting your tomatoes.