tynimiller
5 year old buck +
Some of you may have read about the New 22 property I was blessed to purchase in the spring of this year...one of the main areas I'm going to encourage bedding/sanctuary is a old fallow field. Now judging from aerials, this section has been fallow for probably around 10 years...some cedars are head high even.
While this section has not gotta choked thick of briars and such it is slowly going that direction and while I desire this spot to be thick, I've seen first hand when spots get too chalked thick use drops somewhat. Now we did brush hog a trail down a side of this area and then hogged a probably 30x40 yard "circle" in spring and desired just fresh shoots to pop and grow back up.
However, this spot just isn't getting the use I desire, so in order encourage it more I have come to the conclusion 3 things I want to do:
#1 - incorporate topographical changes in the area. I have access to TONS of dirt piles off a property to the East, as the industrial park when building a new building 2 years ago dropped pile after pile after pile of top soil along the line...so the plan is to bucket after bucket load to make mounds throughout the bedding area. Crazy thing is off my property to the West is a vacated and grown up old dirt bike track about 2 acres big...the deer LOVE bedding in there and I think the terrain is big factor.
#2 - Plant bush/shrub style plantings. I have a line on Hybrid Willow cuttings so will be shoving those and planting some American Plums and encouraging the desireables already growing.
#3 - Attempt to get Switchgrass growing throughout it. Now I don't want a solid thick nothing else kind of stand of switchgrass but have thought about planting some stripped sections and the "circle" with switch...however this is where the question comes in after all the ramblings:
Has anyone had success with frost seeding into such fallow situations in winter...then in spring mowing or using some appropriate chemicals to allow the switch to germinate and grow through the now thatch?
Or am I truly not going to see even 20%-30% germination and success rate...not needing solid stand like I said but obviously probably needing 40% or more to get the desired stand of thinner switch over the years which will provide better cover and stand up to late season weather.
Never have messed with switch grass much really yet so yielding to those which have first hand experience. Any thoughts appreciated....
While this section has not gotta choked thick of briars and such it is slowly going that direction and while I desire this spot to be thick, I've seen first hand when spots get too chalked thick use drops somewhat. Now we did brush hog a trail down a side of this area and then hogged a probably 30x40 yard "circle" in spring and desired just fresh shoots to pop and grow back up.
However, this spot just isn't getting the use I desire, so in order encourage it more I have come to the conclusion 3 things I want to do:
#1 - incorporate topographical changes in the area. I have access to TONS of dirt piles off a property to the East, as the industrial park when building a new building 2 years ago dropped pile after pile after pile of top soil along the line...so the plan is to bucket after bucket load to make mounds throughout the bedding area. Crazy thing is off my property to the West is a vacated and grown up old dirt bike track about 2 acres big...the deer LOVE bedding in there and I think the terrain is big factor.
#2 - Plant bush/shrub style plantings. I have a line on Hybrid Willow cuttings so will be shoving those and planting some American Plums and encouraging the desireables already growing.
#3 - Attempt to get Switchgrass growing throughout it. Now I don't want a solid thick nothing else kind of stand of switchgrass but have thought about planting some stripped sections and the "circle" with switch...however this is where the question comes in after all the ramblings:
Has anyone had success with frost seeding into such fallow situations in winter...then in spring mowing or using some appropriate chemicals to allow the switch to germinate and grow through the now thatch?
Or am I truly not going to see even 20%-30% germination and success rate...not needing solid stand like I said but obviously probably needing 40% or more to get the desired stand of thinner switch over the years which will provide better cover and stand up to late season weather.
Never have messed with switch grass much really yet so yielding to those which have first hand experience. Any thoughts appreciated....
