Fatsia bushes – Deer

Q: Deer have eaten all of the new growth on my fatsia bushes. They even chewed on the stalk of the plant. My question is should I cut them back or just leave them alone and hope they have new growth?

A: Clip any ragged branch ends but leave them alone until May at least. The sprouts that occur then will guide you on what needs to be removed and what can remain to build the framework for a new shrub. Deer like the new growth on landscape plants. My friend Daryl Pulis reports deer unexpectedly ate the blooms of her Lenten rose.