Conifers in NWSG's What would you do?

[scott44]

I wanted to plant some Norway spruce and Red cedars in my switch field this spring. i had a couple ideas one is to plant 3-4 rows in a "L" shape and the other was to plant pockets througout the field. The field is 5-6 acres total and last weekend I hinged some Ash and Elm on the outside of the switch. My questions are what would you do if you were going to plant conifers into switch, maybe you guys have different ideas than I do. Thanks!

Overall look of the switch field, light green is what I hinged last weekend and the brown is my projected "L" of conifers. Blue is the switch field.



This is the hinged area

 

[wiscwhip]

Clusters(maybe similar to the U-shaped ones I have used in reed canary) would be far more diverse, but you will have to look at how it will affect your ability to burn or maintain the NWSG? The grouping of trees in one L-shaped area would certainly make maintenance a whole lot less complex.

 

[Bill]

Both.

It depends who you want sleeping next to them. A single red cedar in switch grass usually has a single bed next to it. Especially if it's on a south facing hill side. That's the antlered guy.

I would guess a grouping of trees would get doe use.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I agree with Bill, but maintenance of your switch grass with fire as also mentioned above will be far more challenging with scattered trees.

 

[Rally1148]

First, I'd say what others have said and look at how you'll be able to maintain. I'm doing rows of hazelnuts and DCO's in my native prairie, but I'll be mowing that (0.5 acre) and if I ever burn those are both ok to burn with.

As for the spacing, I'd say go with clusters. Deer don't like to be right on top of one another, so if you spread out x number of clusters so that the deer would be out of each others way (not seeing eachother and not in constant contact) you could in theory have x # available bedding.

Another thing to think about is, as stated above, who you want bedding in them (if bedding is your goal). If the motion of the deer is generally from the switch to a food source, put larger clusters closest to the food source, these will most likely be used by does. Farther back from those beds (50+ yards) put smaller clusters of only a few trees. These will most likely be used by your bucks. I can't guarantee this, but I do know that what I've seen is that doe groups bed closer to food than do bucks, and that bucks can be harassed by doe groups if they are too close and will avoid that bedding area if they are too close.

 

[scott44]

There was a mix up on the dates my trees were going to be delievered so it looks like next week now. Here is a couple pics of where I'm going to be planting in and on the edge of my switch grass. It's a little bit sparse here so I think it will turn out ok. THere is switch planted over to the tree tubes in the first pic.

 

[sandbur]

I see just a bit of elevation change in the last picture-by the hinge area.

Is there any elevation or topography in the switch?

Maybe you could take advantage of any of these changes when planting conifers, instead of an L shape.

How about a cluster of spruce in the hinged area?

 

[scott44]

I see just a bit of elevation change in the last picture-by the hinge area.

Is there any elevation or topography in the switch?

Maybe you could take advantage of any of these changes when planting conifers, instead of an L shape.

How about a cluster of spruce in the hinged area?

Where I took the pics is the high point, about 100yds towards the tree tubes there is a natural drain. I'm going to stick some in the hinged area, thanks.

 

[sandbur]

Are there any bedding fingers to plant along the edge of that drainage?

If there is a potential bedding area, plant it and then plant a string for a travel corridor-assuming the normal winds would work.

 

[scott44]

Are there any bedding fingers to plant along the edge of that drainage?

If there is a potential bedding area, plant it and then plant a string for a travel corridor-assuming the normal winds would work.

No fingers just a straight shot, you can see it in the first pic with the "L" going at a 45 NW to SE.

Here's a pic looking west towards where the hinge cuuting is, just a idea as to the elevation. They have a pretty good trail coming down there now.

 

[scott44]

I planted 50 Norway and 50 Red Cedars in the hinge cut and a couple pockets in the switch today.

Norways in and on the edge of the hinge cut.







And a couple pockets of 10-15 Red Cedars, the switch is pretty thin here so that's why I picked these spots.