Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Any of you guys grow Giant Ragweed (on purpose)? The sunn hemp thread has me thinking it might serve a similar purpose to sunn hemp but could be cheaper and better for quail.
Giant Ragweed?
- Thread starter Catscratch
- Start date
I've never done it on purpose, but I've thought about it. In our area if you dig up some dirt you'll likely have some giant ragweed pop up on its own. You could probably run a disk over some sod and the weeds that grow will probably be natural quail food.
When pheasant numbers were good in our area we would always have pretty good luck on the random corners of fields that were disked up in the spring but missed by the planter and sprayer. Patches of giant ragweed always seemed to hold either game birds or deer.
When pheasant numbers were good in our area we would always have pretty good luck on the random corners of fields that were disked up in the spring but missed by the planter and sprayer. Patches of giant ragweed always seemed to hold either game birds or deer.
j-bird
Moderator
I never intentionally plant it, but it and common ragweed grow very well for me. I guess if I watched it I could get some seed...once I knew what to look for. I promote both (giant and common ragweed) in my native grass plantings and I have a bunch of it. I only kill it in plots if I feel it's going to stunt the other crop. it will reach a certain stage where the deer will eat it....I have seen it browsed when it was right along side a fresh green soybean field. The giant ragweed here also grows 6 to 8 feet tall at times....but it makes poor cover come fall and all the leaves shrivel and fall and you end you with canes/sticks and that is it.
Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Ragweed seed is a preferred food source for Bobwhite Quail.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Supposed to be very high in energy for birds and they love it. I bet it would make a heck of a plot mixed with sunflowers, millet, and cowpeas.
j-bird
Moderator
The pollen is NASTY if you have allergies!!!! I often times have to wipe my screen clean on my tractor when mowing because it's so thick to prevent it from over heating! Like I said...I would have to educate myself on the matter, but I am sure I would have an opportunity to collect some by hand this summer... Can't say I have otherwise ever had a need...or desire to collect it before. I just assumed everybody had it!
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
I barely see giant on my place, but common is abundant. I recall one member on this forum reporting giant to be invasive at his place in the north.
I looked for seed for giant ragweed last year to no avail. I let an ag field go into natural regen 3 years ago and it's gone into 90% marestail, 5% common ragweed, and balance various other mostly worthless plants. Would love a tall forb mixed in like GRW that provides browse and some cover.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I have fall allergies but adding a little ragweed isn't going to make it worse (I'm allergic to everything... including deer and catfish. I get awesome hives every time I clean critters.). We have giant ragweed around and I could collect seed but I would have to wait a year to plant plots that I want to plant this spring. It's mostly in creek bottoms near farmland or CRP, I never see it in cattle pasture. Seed can be found online easy enough. I would like some on the upland pasture that I've pulled cattle off of. I'm sure it would help quail and possibly add some height/cover/browse that the deer would use.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
My brother has major allergies from ragweed. It doesnt bother me much at all. I also want to add that ragweed, is a weed, and if given the chance, it will overtake a field. It also has no problems adding seed to the seed bank, and regrowing after years of dormancy. Just scrape the ground and and you will have it take over again. Just adding some caution to purposely planting it. I am not saying it wouldnt work, and that deer wont eat it, but what I am saying is, do some research as to what may come of an entire plot of it.
Nova
5 year old buck +
If you had the problems with ragweed and giant ragweed that I do, you wouldn't even think about asking this question. It's extremely invasive and often times very gly resistant. I'd rather stick a hot drill bit in my eye than actually plant or allow this crap to grow...but that's just me
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
It seems easy to control here as it's not a problem in bean fields or cattle pasture. My assumption is that gly kills it (locally) and that cattle graze it. I'm am somewhat worried about exactly what you are saying. I've been doing some research on it. I've read a little that it has become gly resistant in some parts of the country. I don't believe what I have native is resistant but I would sure hate to introduce seed from other parts of the country that is. Maybe giving it another year and collecting local seed isn't a bad idea...
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Lol, well stated. Now tell me how you truly feel about it.
Nova
5 year old buck +
Oh don't get me started. ragweed, pigweed and buckthorn are evil
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
My big 3 are pigweed, sericea, and locust and I feel exactly the same way. Planting one on purpose is crazy!
Giant ragweed grows natural in our bottom ground. Doesn’t grow in the upland pastures. Deer, here, don’t seem to browse it much - but they do use it for cover. We don’t have quail or turkeys - but ducks will use flooded ragweed. Seeds don’t mature until mid fall here. If you have feral hogs - they will infest giant ragweed - and switch if you have any.
j-bird
Moderator
I'm surprised folks even have seed for sale... I can't say I have ever looked as most folks consider it a weed... It's not "invasive" here, but I sure do have it... Giant and common....both. It was a significant issue when I was trying to get my native grasses established the planting year...
Gravel Road
5 year old buck +
I love giant ragweed for wildlife. No need to plant it here, just disk some strips and it fills in on its own and gets 6-8 feet. Makes nice bedding for deer and cover during the summer. The deer here munch on it quite a bit. One plant will be untouched and the one next to it will be nearly destroyed.
As far as quail go, in the winter it provides some cover from hawks and the food value is awesome. I have an acre of milo with ragweed around it and the quail are in there all the time. The deer seem to feel safe walking through it, even though it isn't thick in the winter. Disking a field and letting it sit idle and go to ragweed is a cheap, useful rotation for me.
As far as quail go, in the winter it provides some cover from hawks and the food value is awesome. I have an acre of milo with ragweed around it and the quail are in there all the time. The deer seem to feel safe walking through it, even though it isn't thick in the winter. Disking a field and letting it sit idle and go to ragweed is a cheap, useful rotation for me.
