grasses/plants for wet soil

[Greta&Gus]

I have an old food plot that is not part of our future habitat plans that is in a low area. It is about 1 acre in size and the soil stays relatively wet if we get a fair amount of rain. It is currently just overgrown weeds but I would like to establish some kind of tall perennial that would be good for bedding or a screen.

What is the best grass for wet(er) soils?

 

[bueller]

I don't know about grass but I would lean towards mixing in some shrubs or even placing some scattered cut off tree tops/brushpiles/large branches for the birds to deposit some native vegetation for you.

 

[Native Hunter]

Check into Prairie Cordgrass. It might not be exactly what you want but does make a tall screen and grows in your area from what I have read. It also loves wet soils. Here is a link to start your research.

https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_sppe.pdf

 

[Jameson]

Head over to the State Park and see what is growing well in their clearings after their big logging operation. I seem to remember a number of grass planting there after the big logging operation and by now it should be evident what is growing well.

Maybe look to see what is getting planted in trendy rain gardens in the Cities and try some of the tall plants. Won't be grasses, but more likely native perennial flowers.

 

[Bill]

Dappled willow makes a 10X10 bush and likes wet feet.

Pretty pink foliage in the spring for the Xbow hunters. :D

 

[Freeborn]

Try red osier dogwood, they like wet feet and are a preferred browse for deer. I have a wet spot in the middle of my prairie grass that I am using a 150' roll of concrete mesh formed in a circle to keep deer out while they get established.

In regards to bedding you could add several humps (raised areas) in the middle of a mix of shrubs. If the area gets wet deer will seek out these raised areas. If you need a good shrub that doesn't get browsed much I like common lilac as it grows to 15' and gets very thick.

 

[sandbur]

Sandbur would go with spruce in some sort of pattern and let willows fill in the other areas.

I have crab apples/plums inside a 150 foot circle of cement wire. Maybe Jerry remembers this.

 

[sandbur]

Sandbur would go with spruce in some sort of pattern and let willows fill in the other areas.

I have crab apples/plums inside a 150 foot circle of cement wire. Maybe Jerry remembers this.

ROD are growing inside of the exclosure and are doing well.

 

[Greta&Gus]

I honestly did not consider shrubs or bushes but that is not a bad idea. I like the idea of making raised humps but that sounds like more work than time I have available in the spring. Thanks for the responses.

 

[bwoods11]

Red osier dogwood grows fast, and the deer really browse it. Another option is swamp bur oak hybrid if you want cover and acorns? They grow on wet soil (it can't be soggy all the time) and they keep leaves late in fall for cover...

 

[rocksnstumps]

Try googling the term shrub-carr for some ideas and types of plants to use

 

[Tap]

Speckled Alder does pretty well in wet areas and deer haven't browsed mine so it may be easier to establish than dogwood.
You could also contact Ernst Seed. Google it for their Web address.
Great people, huge catalog and the carry mostly native stuff for all types of conditions.

 

[j-bird]

Lots of trees that like wet/damp feet that deer don't browse well, they also tend to stump sprout well also so you can create multi-stemmed shrubs.

Not sure what is native in your area - but here are a few from my area:
Boxelder
Red Maple
Silver Maple
Cottonwood
Sycamore
Hackberry
Willows
Dogwoods

Some oaks like damp feet as well and most oaks can/will hold their leaves later into the year as well providing cover.

I think the key to getting deer to bed there is going to have dry places for them. The wet will keep the area secure, but they will want to bed in areas where it is dry. I would think a day or two worth of work once it dries out to simply create a few raised areas that will stay dry would be the ticket. I also know cat-tails tend to be great deer hiding places as well - but sometimes they are used in habitat classifications that you may not want.

 

[ruskbuckss]

I like elderberry's, dogwoods, and winterberry in low areas. The raised areas in those areas would be a cool project.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Are you guys just bringing in soil and shoveling into a mound? Anyone use sand? I have a sand pile I could take from?

 

[rocksnstumps]

Why not just make a small waterhole in a low area and use the dirt to make some higher spots close by.

 

[rocksnstumps]

A further list of things to consider. For me, I'd skip the water hemlock, horsetail, and poison sumac!:eek:

There are commonly three distinct vegetation layers in a southern shrub-carr community. The most pronounced is the shrub layer, which typically exhibits little stratification or layering, and ranges in height from 1.5 to 5.5 m (5 to 18 ft, average 2.6 m or 8.6 ft). Common species in the shrub layer may include dogwoods (C.amomum,Cornus foemina, andC.sericea), willows (Salix bebbiana,S.discolor,S.exigua,S.petiolaris,S.serissima, andS.eriocephala), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), swamp rose (Rosapalustris), poison sumac (Toxicodendronvernix), smooth highbush blueberry (Vacciniumcorymbosum), American hazelnut (Corylusamericana), black chokeberry (Aroniaprunifolia), and nannyberry (Viburnumlentago). The shrub layer can be dense to patchy depending on the successional state and local site conditions within the community. The second vegetation layer is an intermediate layer of tall herbaceous plants and short shrubs and can include sedges (Carexstricta,C.comosa,C.hystericina, andC.lacustris), water plantain (Alisma subcordatum), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), water hemlock (Cicuta maculata), water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile), marsh fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), rattlesnake grass (Glyceria canadensis), softstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani), bulrush (Scirpus pendulus), Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris), bog birch (Betula pumila), swamp gooseberry (Ribeshirtellum), meadowsweet (Spiraeaalba), raspberries (Rubus spp.), and shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphorafruticosa). A third vegetative layer of smaller herbaceous plants may also occur and include species such as bedstraws (Galiumspp.), clearweed (Pilea pumila), northern bugle weed (Lycopus uniflorus), Canada mayflower (Maianthemumcanadense), and marsh bellflower (Campanula aparinoides).

 

[j-bird]

I would use actual soil. Skim off some topsoil with a skid steer, FEL or dozer and build your island with that. Just make the island flat, or with only a slight crest. I would suggest planting the island with a medium to tall grass and then plant the edge of the island in your trees and shrubs. I would try to create a cavity in the cover so to speak. I would then also plant your trees and shrubs along the outer perimeter of the water/wet area to give it another layer of cover. Planting shrubs and trees in the wet area won't hurt a bit either. The nastier the cover is the better the bedding will be - just don't make it so think the deer can't/won't go in there. Also keep in mind it's only an acre so it isn't going to hold a herd of deer. In fact it may do well to only hold a few deer on an occasional basis. If it holds water however you should have a water hole and an area for other wetland type wildlife as well. I also know that as hunting pressure mounts deer find some real interesting places to hide.....small places where hunters simply overlook. A small place like this could be one of those places. Something you may want to look into is what "rules" you may have to contend with if you actually build what is considered as a wetland and the like......some states are real touchy about such things shold you decide to do something different with that area later.