Introduction
Protecting your survival garden from scavengers and deer is crucial for ensuring a steady food supply. This guide covers both camouflage techniques to hide your garden from unwanted human visitors and methods to deter deer and other wildlife. By integrating these strategies, you can create a secure and productive garden.
Camouflage Techniques
Integrate Edible Plants with Ornamental Flowers
To make your garden less visible, mix edible plants with ornamental flowers. Climbing roses can serve as natural barriers due to their thorns, while marigolds can repel pests. Ragweed and goldenrod can be used to deter allergy-sensitive individuals.
Surround your crops with natural deterrents like burrs, thorny cacti, nettles, or poison ivy (use caution to avoid contaminating edible plants). These plants can create a physical barrier that deters both humans and animals.
Utilize Wooded Areas
Plant tall crops near trees. Onions can protect tree trunks from rodents, while peppermint and marigolds can serve as outer barriers. Daffodils can be used to repel deer near tree drip lines.
Minimize Human Activity
Use perennial plants that require minimal maintenance. Harvest at night and avoid creating visible paths to the garden. This reduces the chances of your garden being discovered.
Avoid Row Planting
Scatter crops irregularly across the landscape, even within weed patches, to obscure patterns. This makes it harder for scavengers to identify valuable crops.
Prioritize Native Perennials
Use common weeds like dandelions as sacrificial plants on garden perimeters to divert attention from more valuable crops. This strategy can help protect your main food sources.
Camouflage Aquatic Gardens
Use poison sumac and vines to obscure semi-aquatic crops. Build raised soil mats in swamps or marshes to make them harder to access. This method is particularly useful for protecting water-based crops.
Deer Repellent Methods
Use a Dog
Train a dog to patrol the garden and bark at deer. This can be an effective way to deter deer from entering your garden.
Apply Predator Urine
Use coyote or fox urine sprays around garden perimeters. These sprays can create a barrier that deer will avoid.
Plant Deer-Resistant Species
Grow marigolds, lavender, or daffodils. These plants are less appealing to deer and can help protect your garden.
Install Fencing
Erect an 8-foot-high fence with tight mesh or electric wires. This physical barrier can prevent deer from entering your garden.
Create Noise
Use wind chimes, radios, or motion-activated alarms to create noise that will scare deer away.
Use Reflective Objects
Hang CDs, mirrors, or Mylar balloons to scare deer. These reflective objects can startle deer and keep them away from your garden.
Plant Cover Crops
Grow clover or alfalfa to make the area less appealing to deer. These plants can provide a more attractive alternative to your garden crops.
Make Homemade Repellents
Mix garlic, hot peppers, or soap solutions and spray them on plants. These homemade repellents can deter deer from eating your crops.
Rotate Tactics
Change methods regularly to prevent deer from adapting. This ensures that your garden remains protected over time.
Remove Attractants
Eliminate food sources like fallen fruit or compost. This reduces the appeal of your garden to deer and other wildlife.
Conclusion
By combining camouflage techniques with deer repellent methods, you can create a secure and productive survival garden. Remember to use a variety of strategies and rotate them regularly to keep your garden safe from both human scavengers and wildlife.
Summary
This guide covers both camouflage techniques to hide your garden from unwanted human visitors and methods to deter deer and other wildlife. Use a mix of edible and ornamental plants, natural deterrents, and wooded areas to camouflage your garden. For deer, use a dog, predator urine, deer-resistant plants, fencing, noise, reflective objects, cover crops, homemade repellents, and rotate tactics regularly. Remove attractants to further protect your garden.