Recent content by White Birch Farm

Today.

I tested one last year at another persons request. Despite the fact it was developed a few miles from my farm, it never did well and died from disease by this spring (rootstock is alive). Considering how many other apple/crabapples I have that had no such problems that is not inspiring.

Let’s be clear….There is a reason why you are not simply answering “yes” and instead giving a vague answer. That reason is, other than being functionally possible, there is no good reason to do it other than to create a gimmicky tree. The tree will neither be vigorous nor highly productive, nor...

Native Nursery are completely random Callery genetics. Dr Deer is an individual selected Callery with specific desirable traits. Two completely different things. Dr. Deer still hanging, but could unload the tree with a good shake.

The soil was low PH with no fertility when I started, but I have built it up over the years so it is pretty good now. The cabbage stems are just that, stems. So most will be standing until I mow them. Obviously, any one of them could be pushed down by a deer, but there is thousands of stems in...

You can plant plenty of Brassicas in early summer, just need to match the duration of the brassica to when you want the deer to be using it.

Plenty of info available about it on-line. It is a short maturity brassica. If you read people saying it does not get eaten, first they probably are using it wrong (if you want it really consumed heavily and quickly in late season it needs to be planted very late), second, the leaves were...

You can spray the clover with gly, or not. I do and have done it both ways. There are dozens of variables involved. Same with the brassicas. They all get eaten at different times and to different degrees. My property has more food per deer than 99% of most properties, so the results I get would...

Clover year round for years and drill into it annually in the summer. The Ethiopian Cabbage alone is 6-8’ and more than enough to make the brassicas an effective screen.

My fall brassicas drilled in standing clover….

Yates is a rust magnet at my place. Good chance the rust is a Cedar Hawthorn Rust. Regardless, it is not something I would plant again given how many other much more resistance varieties I have/are available.

Keep clover on the ground 365 and then drill into as needed. Long day brassicas can go in early summer along with things like sorghum if you want even heavier structure; however, Ethiopian Cabbage in a brassica mix will get as tall.

Warm season grass seed is fluffy. So it requires specialized agitators. Therefore a true WSG seed box will have those agitators. Small see boxes generally are sized for clover/alfalfa/brassicas and could probably handle low rates of winter rye. Large seed boxes handle everything else and should...

Honestly, creating browse that deer cant eat for years is a counterproductive use of your time. Instead, you should be focused on creating an environment where browse can sustain itself. For example, you are far better off hinging maple or other undesirable trees in the canopy and providing...