Saving Brandon Cedars After Deer Damage

Deer Damage on Brandon Cedars: Can They Recover?

You have four Brandon cedars that deer have heavily browsed, stripping foliage from the ground up to about five feet while leaving the top foot green and healthy. The good news is that the trees will likely survive, but conifers cannot regenerate new growth on bare wood. You’ll permanently lose the lower branches and foliage on that bottom five feet.

Steps to Help Your Cedars Recover

• Fertilize to boost vigor: If the trees are more than a year old, apply a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 1 pound per inch of trunk diameter. Scatter it around the drip line and water it in well. Applying just before rain saves you the watering step.
• Protect from future browsing: Use a deer repellent. One of the most effective homemade sprays is a mixture of 20% whole eggs and 80% water. To prevent clogging, remove the chalaza (the white membrane attached to the yolk) before mixing. This egg-based repellent is weather-resistant but should be reapplied about every 30 days.

With proper nutrition and protection, the healthy tops will continue to grow, and the trees will remain viable landscape specimens despite the bare lower trunks.