First who puts a swimming pool in there front yard? LOL

Green Giants are deer resistant... to a point. A couple years ago I had small 1' green giant seedlings planted to over winter on the back side of my house. I just planted them in a 4x4' section and was going to move them in spring. All winter I had deer tracks leading right up to them, but they didn't touch. They did pick one up out of the ground, but didn't eat it.

There is a difference between deer resistant and deer proof. There are many kinds of plants and trees that are deer resistant and will repell deer to eat other things. The only thing deer proof is a fence.

GG's are deer resistant, but I still keep them sprayed with Deer Out. Afterall, two forms of protection is better than one lol.

I agree Ricksample, a pool belongs in the Back Yard, but they have a autos back there...see what I mean by needing privacy screen now? ;) We would sell if the real estate market was better. *Regarding the product Deer Out, can you buy that at local hardware stores? Is it expensive?
**Could I cut back the GG when they reach the height I want, or would it cause problems with the shrub? I want about 10-15 feet in height.

Ken, we live in Zone 5.

I wonder if I could go ahead and plant my Emerald Green Arbs, and cut the other leader/s back next year? Perhaps I should take them back to WM if they will take them.

All your suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

I purchase deer out from http://www.deerout.com/... the repellant you purchase in the stores smell bad. This smells like pepermint. If you smell it straight from the bottle, it'll give you a bad burning sensation and you won't do it again =) I buy the concentrate, it makes 2.5 gal's for $35. I spray about every 3 months or so.

I've read that you can cut Green Giants back to any height you choose, but haven't done it.

I thought emerald greens grew very slowly? They may take 10-20 years to create privacy where GG's or other plants could do it in just 4-5 years. But the faster they grow, the larger they will become. I don't see any harm in keeping them pruned (pending you aren't planning to plant hundreds).

If I wanted screening I would want 12 month screening so I would plant hemlock or maybe norway sproce (blue spruce would work if you have lots of sun). My experience is that deer dont eat these while arborvitae and leyland spruce get nibbled - in addition they tend to be multitrunked and get messed up by cold and or heavy snow.
If space is an issue then you need Fastigiata type of spruce whixh has a narrow form....the hemlock can be sheared for narrowmness if desired. Both grow quite rapidly once established, ie a foot or two or three in the example of norway spruce.

I know stories go both ways on green giants, but the deer in my area have not touched my green giants- they actually ate the junipers first ( blue point, blue rug, etc).

There is just a level of hungriness at play. Late in the winter deer have attacked my thuja occidentalis which is a non-native arborvitae.

If you dont need great height a good evergreen screen would be English Laurel or Skip Laurel which are easily 6/7 foot ++ in height when mature and grow quite rapidly. Deer dont bother them either.

Just my $.02.

the fastest privacy screen is a good fence, and you know what they say about good fences!

short of that, if the local wildlife are hungry, I doubt you could stop them.

perhaps in addition to the wildlife resistant conifer based on advice of experts here (or a good fence) you could plant some good, inexpensive, wildlife friendly sets on the other side of the property.

give 'em hazelnuts, blackberrys, sunflowers, flowering cabbage, whatever.... and perhaps they'll move on without eating up the green giants (or whatever you plant for screen)

i keep the rabits off my arborvitae with dog fur and the backporch hunters and shiners keep the deer spooked off from our little exoburb. but i know it can be frustrating to have grazing deer on your trees.

1. put up the tallest fence code allows.
2. get rid of the emerald greens. they will take 20 years to grow into anything useful, and will be eaten during the first winter anyway.
3. plant a mixture of juniperus chinensis hetzii columnaris (aka columnar hetzi juniper), Juniperus Virginiana Burkii, and Picea Abies Cupressina (a very narrow norway spruce). maybe throw a GG arb in there for good measure.
4. plant them relatively close (so they fill in within 3-5 years) & prune as needed to control spread years down the road.
5. feed with miracle gro (flame suit on...)
6. keep them moist

Hoping for an update.

Any updates on these? Were planning of planting Green giants this fall 20 of them im scared if deers will eat them its such a waste of money 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

Green Giants seem pretty dear resistant

meaning , dear will move on to other things to eat

what are those gizmoz at the end ?

I think they are a series of ”Dohs!”.

tj

I tried to create a privacy fence about ten or so years ago with Arborvitae (not sure of the cultivar or if it matters), it was not long before the deer ate them. Again, deer tastes can be regional and it also depends on the severity of the weather. Not a conifer expert but many of them do seem to be eaten by deer. I replaced Yews with Cephalotaxus (Japanese plum yews) and they will even occasional munch on them, unless it's rabbits. I eventually resolved my living property fences on one side with an allee of Southern Magnolias on the west side, east side with Cherry Laurel (Schip/Skip) and deciduous smoke bush, and the south side with Holly (Blue Prince/Princess), Nellie Stevens, Japanese, Chinese) and boxwoods. I have NEVER seen them touch boxwoods, ever. I have noticed them occasionally munching on the softer blue hollies, and Japanese Holly in a bad winter, EVEN the odd magnolia leaf in deep snow. They don't go near either the Nellie Stevens or the even more prickly, Chinese Holly. Cherry Laurels, are never touched, I think it's the cyanide, LOL. Other plants that I may be used as borders that deer tend never to bother with (in my personal experience) include, rhododendrons, bamboos (use the clumping ones, not the runners unless you are prepared to live in a bamboo forest), and Osmanthus heterophyllus 'goshiki', which is a very colorful, prickly, hardy, broadleaf evergreen. P.S., You won't find barberry on my list, I HATE them and ripped out all the ones the prior owners had planted to outwit the deer.