Please comment on my wildlife shrub plan

[Lot2Learn]

I’d like to plant some wildlife shrubs this Spring and I’d appreciate your comments on my plan.

• Shrub: cuttings of elderberry, arrow wood, and ninebark from bigrocktrees.com
• Location: Some sites ‘full’ sun, other sites ‘half day’ sun, planted around the perimeter of our food plots
• USDA Zone: 7a
• Timing: Planted very late March (my apple trees typically bloom in mid-April)
• Ground Prep: 3’x3’ lumite, being careful to cut a hole large enough to allow enough room for the stem to grow. Removed after two years of growth so that the shrub can naturally sucker and expand
• Depth: Planted so that 2 buds are above ground
• Growth hormone: Yes
• Protection: 5’ wire cage, 2’ wide (is that big enough?), removed after 3 years. Two cuttings of a single variety in each cage.
• Spacing: Shrubs planted 10’ apart

With this plan, am I likely to be successful? What would you recommend to improve my plan? Are there elements of my plan that you think are overkill? Can I remove the cages faster?

Thanks in advance for your help, Lot2Learn

 

[John-W-WI]

I’d like to plant some wildlife shrubs this Spring and I’d appreciate your comments on my plan.

• Shrub: cuttings of elderberry, arrow wood, and ninebark from bigrocktrees.com
• Location: Some sites ‘full’ sun, other sites ‘half day’ sun, planted around the perimeter of our food plots
• USDA Zone: 7a
• Timing: Planted very late March (my apple trees typically bloom in mid-April)
• Ground Prep: 3’x3’ lumite, being careful to cut a hole large enough to allow enough room for the stem to grow. Removed after two years of growth so that the shrub can naturally sucker and expand
• Depth: Planted so that 2 buds are above ground
• Growth hormone: Yes
• Protection: 5’ wire cage, 2’ wide (is that big enough?), removed after 3 years. Two cuttings of a single variety in each cage.
• Spacing: Shrubs planted 10’ apart

With this plan, am I likely to be successful? What would you recommend to improve my plan? Are there elements of my plan that you think are overkill? Can I remove the cages faster?

Thanks in advance for your help, Lot2Learn

Good plan, a few thoughts that might help:

Ninebark is more shade tolerant than the others. In its establishment year it needs all the light it can get, but will tolerate less light than others.

The later you can plant the better (especially the elderberry). You want the soil warmed as much as possible so they can get to growing as soon as you plant them. You don't want them waiting too long.

3'x3' fabric is a minimum size. It's fine for moisture retention, but weeds can still quickly take over. Consider spraying once or twice during the growing season if that's possible. (I can elaborate if you like)

The rest of your plan looks great. I hope it works well for you.

-John

 

[Tree Spud]

Once 1st green up occurs with grasses & weeds emerging, you should spray the area you intend to plant with Glysophate. Reducing competition for moisture & nutrients is critical and weed/grasses can
quickly shade out cuttings.

 

[wiscwhip]

It would also not hurt to spray the area with a pre-emergent herbicide like Oust XP to keep the area clean for a longer period. Here is a link to a good read from K-State...

https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF656.pdf

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I'm a big fan of 5 ft. tall cages. If you go to the expense and labor of planting things - why go cheap on the protection ?? If deer eat the stuff off and weaken or kill the new plants, it's all for nothing.

I'm not familiar with all the things you're going to plant - I haven't planted those - so I don't know how fast they'll grow. Cage dia. would depend on growth rate, so the plants get a good chance to establish themselves before the cages come off.

 

[NorthPotter]

x2 on what everyone else has recommended. I have good results creating shrubby habitat with both arrow wood and nannyberry. Maybe consider some dogwoods too. Rough, silky and others are great browse plus they also provide berries for other wildlife.

When you create a perimeter, create some depth to it rather than just a row. Stagger the setbacks to create transitions areas into the woods..
Be sure to leave some 1-2' tall grass areas between shrubs. Those grassy areas are highly favored bedding locations for me.

 

[Rally1148]

Depending on how many you are doing, and availability of space, you might consider growing them in the garden for the first year. I was also growing ninebark from seed, so I had those that needed to be planted in the fall anyways. Other than that, everything seems good. Any reason in particular that you're doing only cuttings and not plugs ( or a mix of both) ?

 

[wiscwhip]

If you have any wet areas, I would recommend buttonbush and mulberry in and directly around those locations.