Habitat out loud

[SD51555]

Is that pond connected to other water during flooding or was nature supplemented to give a jump start? I've never seen scuds before, but I know they're around and a favored fish food. They sound like a great addition to a pond.

That’s just a depression back there. If it gets high enough it does spill over and go south.


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[SD51555]

I had mentioned I had some luck broadcasting rye into tight and lush white clover last fall. For years I’ve been trying to get it up in late summer, and the clover just never gave an inch.

Last year, I decided to try spreading rye mid October. It’s not ideal for hunting to be encroaching at that time, but mid October is also slow. The deer had the clover well on its way to being grazed off and I went for it. It’s the first time I’ve ever made it in an established stand. It’s not thick, but it’s worth further development.

It’s not enough to hold down the grass, but I’m gonna keep after it. This plot was planted in the fall of 2021. It’s starting to get grassy. Might have to zap the grass next spring.

Some spring barley punched thru this year too.

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[SD51555]

Work on my doctorate in ROD restoration continues.

Caught a lot of luck with the rain this year.

Can’t remember if and where I talked about this before, but I ripped apart a massive dogwood cluster bare handed by my outhouse. It became 50 busted up transplants with roots. It’s doing very well.

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[SD51555]

I also super caged a huge nature-placed cluster of severely browsed ROD I knew I had. It’s roaring back in a hurry. No transplants here, no mulch, nothing extra other than the fence and I removed all the other brush around it.

It was all browsed down to about 12” and crowded by a birch and some tag alder.

It is all ROD in there. I had done this when there was still frost. I had to go back and straighten the posts and pound them back in. Should be set now. All it needs is sun and time.

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[SD51555]

I’ve got a real banger of a dogwood seed crop coming finally. The woods have been opened up, brush piles made for the birds to pop a squat and plant these berries.

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[Brian662]

I’ve got a real banger of a dogwood seed crop coming finally. The woods have been opened up, brush piles made for the birds to pop a squat and plant these berries.

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It's a beautiful thing!

 

[g squared 23]

It’d be cool to see something other than the red AO and JBH berries at my place. Very nice


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[H20fwler]

Work on my doctorate in ROD restoration continues.

Caught a lot of luck with the rain this year.

Can’t remember if and where I talked about this before, but I ripped apart a massive dogwood cluster bare handed by my outhouse. It became 50 busted up transplants with roots. It’s doing very well.

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I've got to say your caging is impressive to say the least...I don’t think I even put that much effort into my prize apples&pears.....well done!

 

[SD51555]

I've got to say your caging is impressive to say the least...I don’t think I even put that much effort into my prize apples&pears.....well done!

We’ll see how it holds up. It’s mushy down there, so all that could be laying on the ground come spring. I need it to go at least three years and I think those bushes will be big enough. Might try doing the brush built cage next year too. Don’t know about that yet.


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[SD51555]

I was out checking on that whole cut area this weekend. The ROD cage is doing very well. I need it to stand up properly in the cage though. I got it all leaning to the south.

They even produced some seed after leaving most of their roots behind.

This area is getting bushy and the regrowth is quickly swallowing the brush piles. This is what it looked like in April.

This is what it looks like now.

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[SD51555]

The big mow went down today. This would have taken me a day and a half to do on foot. Knocked it out in two hours. Three times as wide and three times as fast will do that. This might be my best work ever.

Annual Plots and Trails Mowing 2024

Had a buddy come in and help me get the bush whacked down and ready for deer season. This was slick!

rumble.com

 

[Foggy47]

Amazing what good equipment can do. Just think where you could be if you were on the grid!

 

[fishin coyote]

Pretty impressive mow down, sure beats the walk behind mower and you really went into the vault for the backing music

 

[SD51555]

Pretty impressive mow down, sure beats the walk behind mower and you really went into the vault for the backing music

Yeah, I think I’ve hit that point where I’m ready to admit I don’t wanna walk mow all that.


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[SD51555]

That machine was the ticket. Take the cost analysis out of it for a second. He just did a way better job than I could with a goat. I’m still fighting ruts from logging and needed this trail blasted wide enough I can get a 10’ heavy disc thru there.

This goes right thru the center of my place. I’ve done heavy chainsaw cutting on both sides of this and it has regen’d into a mass of cover.

It is an absolute wall of high stem cover, and very likely too thick for deer. That spot is probably only a half acre. The one to the right is also a half acre.

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[Tree Spud]

Yeah, I think I’ve hit that point where I’m ready to admit I don’t wanna walk mow all that.


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We all get there. The wear & tear on your body and time. As you get older the body starts to bark back. If you can get a tool that let's you do in 2 hrs what used to take 5-6 hrs (and less stress on the body), that's a big deal.

Never thought I would own a tractor, now I can't believe I didn't do it sooner.

You can't make more time, you can work smarter not just harder.

 

[Foggy47]

We all get there. The wear & tear on your body and time. As you get older the body starts to bark back. If you can get a tool that let's you do in 2 hrs what used to take 5-6 hrs (and less stress on the body), that's a big deal.

Never thought I would own a tractor, now I can't believe I didn't do it sooner.

You can't make more time, you can work smarter not just harder.

I'm 77 years old.......and I believe I would quit managing my land before I'd take on some of the work I see others post here (and what we were able to do in the past). I've done all the rock and stick picking and stump removal I care to. Breaking land is tough work. My neck is still sore from looking over my shoulder when grinding out thousands of stumps.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

That skid steer did a great job. Did that have a heavy duty brush hog blade on it or was that more of a finishing mower? It seemed to go through the heavy stuff pretty easily, but it still gave a nice cut like a lawn mower.

Those wide trails are really nice in areas like that. Narrow trails in wet spots always tend to get rutted up since you have to drive on the same exact spot every time.

What did you seed in that large plot after it was mowed down?

 

[SD51555]

That skid steer did a great job. Did that have a heavy duty brush hog blade on it or was that more of a finishing mower? It seemed to go through the heavy stuff pretty easily, but it still gave a nice cut like a lawn mower.

Those wide trails are really nice in areas like that. Narrow trails in wet spots always tend to get rutted up since you have to drive on the same exact spot every time.

What did you seed in that large plot after it was mowed down?

I think it was a brush blade, but I really don't know.

Those two big plots are already in my main polyculture mix: white clover, chicory, plantain, black eyed susan, BFTF, canada thistle, bull thistle, and common ragweed.

I blew on more: YSC, flax, alfalfa, chicory, plantain, rape, radish, PTT, jap millet, white sweet clover, balansa, purple coneflower, and buckwheat. In mid October, I'll broadcast in a good rate of winter triticale.

 

[Jlane35]

I think it was a brush blade, but I really don't know.

Those two big plots are already in my main polyculture mix: white clover, chicory, plantain, black eyed susan, BFTF, canada thistle, bull thistle, and common ragweed.

I blew on more: YSC, flax, alfalfa, chicory, plantain, rape, radish, PTT, jap millet, white sweet clover, balansa, purple coneflower, and buckwheat. In mid October, I'll broadcast in a good rate of winter triticale.

You don’t have an issue getting triticale to the soil after the initial cut?