ID?

[Daydreamer]

Can you confirm what this is for me? And then any potential value to wildlife?




Let's just say it this is in one of my food plots...

 

[Daydreamer]

I'm assuming Foxtail but want confirmation.

 

[wiscwhip]

Looks like some kind of foxtail for sure, maybe Giant Foxtail. I didn't see it listed in your profile, what part of the woods are you from exactly? As far as from a habitat standpoint, our western WI bucks love to bed in patches of foxtail that are growing in standing cornfields. Other than that, I have never witnessed any browsing pressure by deer. Bad for your dogs, the tiny seeds have "claws"(for lack of a better word) that will work there way into the pads on their feet and other areas and cause potentially fatal infections.

 

[Daydreamer]

Zone 4b, Minnesota. This was some Pheasants Forever blend that I planted for a neighbor. This was about the only thing that thrived.
No dogs here but I read that it can cause some damage to them.

 

[wiscwhip]

It is definitely good for pheasants, deer bedding to some extent. I personally would terminate it as soon as possible though, that stuff will fill the seedbank in short order and it will become invasive and weedy at some point. I have worked for farmers who struggle with it every year. There are worse grasses than foxtail, but you really don't want any of those on your place either. If you are looking for grassy type cover, there are far better things than foxtail(cool season grass), look at getting some switchgrass or big bluestem(both warm season grasses) started in those areas instead.

 

[Daydreamer]

Thanks for the information. I'll have to look back at the label to see if that was supposed to be in the mix. It definitely "won" the battle with the other seeds this year. I can definitely see the stuff filling the seedbank.

 

[j-bird]

yep - its foxtail. It typically doesn't hold up well against snow and the like well, but burns easily. If your looking for cover - it sucks. If your looking for seeds for your birds - it's great. It would work well with sunflowers, EW or sorghum with it as they would provide a better cover aspect. Worthless for deer other than a soft place to lay down.

 

[SD51555]

Definitely foxtail. That crap haunts me. I battled that in my clover plot for years. Best defense I found was to keep mowing it. I tried spraying with Poast, and that really didn't work. What's worse, that stuff has a seed head as soon as it comes outta the ground. Tillage won't get rid of it either. If it's there, then there is an infinite foxtail supply in the seedbank already.

 

[Daydreamer]

Well it must have had the right conditions as you can see by the plot!!!! Hopefully the pheasants are finding some value in it before it gets buried with snow.