Ideas for two sanctuary plots

[WTNUT]

I have two .75 acre plots inside a heavily wooded drainage. The drainage is really a 50 acre sanctuary. There are two other plots inside the sanctuary, but the two .75 acre plots have a little too much moisture in them. I will not say there are springs in them, but they are on the side of a hill (slight grade 3 percent) but just don’t drain as I expected when I put them in around 2004.

At this point, they have never been good clover plots. Being wet makes them hard to keep up. Easy to rut them out with the tractor, etc.

I am looking for seeding ideas that require as little maintenance as possible. What are you thoughts?


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[Native Hunter]

Areas like that are better planted in moisture loving shrubs that deer like to browse rather than food plots. Examples are red osier dogwood, grey dogwood and sandbar willow. Even arrowwood viburnum and elderberry would likely grow well there. All of these are preferred browse plants. There are others like brook alder and witch hazel that would also do well in that soil, but they are less preferred browse plants. I have planted all of the above in my wet areas, and deer love to browse these places.

The problem is getting them established without initial protection, and 1.5 acres is a pretty big area to do it. It's likely going to require fencing of some type in most places where deer numbers are high. It's a lot of work on the front end, but it can pay off big down the road.

I also think that food plots within sanctuaries kind of defeat the purpose of a sanctuary, because food plots require quite a bit of human intervention. Once established, shrubs would only need someone going in every few years to take out any tall volunteer species that were unwanted.

PS - I would contact John at Roundstone Native Seeds and ask him what wet area forb mixes that he might have that would include plants that deer like to browse. Wild forbs that grow in wet soil might be better for you in this case than any food plot species. As an example, jewelweed would be right at home in that area, and I doubt there is any plant that deer prefer above jewelweed when it is available.

Best Wishes.

 

[Telemark]

I would try alsike clover, wetland alfalfa, and high sugar rye grass. This is a mix I'm going to put in some soggy plots where other species struggle to grow. I don't have experience with this yet, but it's the best I have come up with to deal with our heavy rain. I sprayed last week, and I will disc and sow in a couple weeks, after I lime the everloving crap out of it.

I have had some success with larger types of red clover so far. They are the most successful remnants of the previous seed blends i broadcast in theese spots.

 

[Tree Spud]

I've had success with alsike clover on wet boggy ground.

I agree with food plots being counter productive in sanctuaries. Plant 20'-25' clover trails coming out of the sanctuaries. You could also plant good browse shrubs following these trails out.

 

[bigboreblr]

Any luck with rye? I like the combination of shrubs where it's too wet, and rows of stuff where it's more manegable. Mix of rye and clover in a 12v broadcast spreader up front, while you drushhog with the back of the tractor. Even rice may be a possibility.

grey dogwood is less prefered than red dogwood, if caging isn't practical. Poplar or other early successional trees might be a good option to. LEt them go a few years then hinge cut. Just keep it into row sections incase you want to brush hog in there from time to time.

A coworker used to mow different sections of a fallow brushy field. Pretty much did strips and rortated so the strips weren't over 3 years old. Ran the brush hog high to keep the base of the shrubs going.

 

[WTNUT]

Response to all:

Native - you have any stock photos of any of the shrubs you recommend. That isn’t a bad idea to say the least.

Others, I can grow all clovers in there as well as cereal grains. I just want to cut down on the maintenance.

As for comments on sanctuaries, I generally agree with you. However, all properties are unique. In my case, the property is well over 1,000 acres with minimal pressure. An occasional tractor visit during summer does not appear to bother even my most mature bucks.

I probably need to wage war on the yellow nutsedge first before going in any other direction. I hate that stuff.


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[Native Hunter]

Response to all:

Native - you have any stock photos of any of the shrubs you recommend. That isn’t a bad idea to say the least.

Others, I can grow all clovers in there as well as cereal grains. I just want to cut down on the maintenance.

As for comments on sanctuaries, I generally agree with you. However, all properties are unique. In my case, the property is well over 1,000 acres with minimal pressure. An occasional tractor visit during summer does not appear to bother even my most mature bucks.

I probably need to wage war on the yellow nutsedge first before going in any other direction. I hate that stuff.


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WT, the only pic I have in my phone right now is an elderberry clump. See below. I will try to remember and get you some more pics this week.

PS - I would also bet that persimmon and blackberry would grow in that spot.

 

[Native Hunter]

Here are a couple more I found. First pic is one of my mowed trails right after I mowed it. This spot is not extremely wet, but you can get an idea of the shrubs. Blackberry on left and Arrowwood Viburnum on the left and right.

Second pic is a very wet place where I have promoted jewelweed and some other forbs. I didn't plant them. They just came out of the seedbank after multiple times killing things I didn't want there. Sometimes what you kill is more important than what you plant.

 

[Telemark]

Others, I can grow all clovers in there as well as cereal grains. I just want to cut down on the maintenance.

Clovers shouldn't really require much if any maintenance.

 

[BobinCt]

I’d def do the shrubs and cage them up. You get the right shrubs in there with a few different varieties, in my opinion it’s much more attractive than a clover plot to the deer.

 

[Native Hunter]

Arrowwood berries that birds spread well.

Witch Hazel nuts

Grey Dogwood drupes

Grey Dogwood







Young Red Osier dogwood in cages

 

[WTNUT]

Native, you got it going on buddy! Thanks. I still have not called you for an education on starting native grasses. I think it has only been about 7 years since you offered to give me some advise. I need to retire - that is my sign.


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[Native Hunter]

Native, you got it going on buddy! Thanks. I still have not called you for an education on starting native grasses. I think it has only been about 7 years since you offered to give me some advise. I need to retire - that is my sign.


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I retired last year and I’m loving it. Just let me know if you need some help later with the NWSGs or anything else.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I probably need to wage war on the yellow nutsedge first before going in any other direction. I hate that stuff.

Triclopyr (the generic of Garlon) and sulfentrazone are supposed to wipe out yellow nutsedge. It's killed it in the lawn here at home. FWIW.