Planting around a pond

[ksgobbler]

So due to drought my millet, etc never took off. I’d like to plant something low maintenance that doesn’t get tall so the kids can easily fish. Another plus would be if the geese would graze it because I really like hunting them. I’ve thought about clover. I also thought about rye grass or fescue. However 100 yards away Ive spent a lot of money trying to get rid of fescue so not sure I want to go planting it. Thoughts?

 

[Bill]

Cereal rye should work if you don’t plant it to early. At home the farmers plant after beans and the geese pile into it.

That or broadcast corn really heavy prior to setting up your blind :). I doubt the man would buy you’re just planting corn.

 

[ksgobbler]

I had cereal rye around it last year. Only place it grew well was on the dam. I seeded buckwheat into it and have a good buckwheat crop growing on the dam. The cereal rye gets so tall...
Thought about wheat as well.

 

[j-bird]

plant a mix of perennial clover and wheat.....the wheat won't grow as tall as the rye and you can mow it if needed and not hurt the clover. Then when you want you can terminate the wheat and hopefully have a decent stand of clover.....it can even be dutch clover so it grows low to the ground and isn't an issue with the kids as much....just beware of the bees.

 

[H20fwler]

I planted a clover mix along with chicory and trefoil around edges, also some button brush. We have had water plantain and a lot of natural volunteer plants that just came on their own grow in along the fluctuating water line that the waterfowl seem to really like. The wetlands plants are a great draw for all kinds of wildlife but we do get a bunch of ducks and geese using ponds and walking edges into the pasture grazing.
Geese like mowed areas in the open where they can see good to walk and rest.

 

[JFK52]

I do not get or hunt geese at my pond. So with that in mind I plant dwarf Essex rape seed. The deer absolutely loved it in the late season after a hard frost. It would meet your criteria of wanting something low to the ground.