I have 18 trees ranging from persimmon, chesnutts, pears of varying type, and crab and apple of varying types. Oldest trees are 4 years old. These trees are in a 1 acre plot that has been planted in either clover or fall mixes over the years. ? Is, if you can, is it wise to fill the whole thing with fruit and eventually stop planting the grains n grasses or should i do both and save some ground? I planted this week and there is still about 3/4 of an acre that was seeded. s
I will always have some food plots. However, traditional food plots are expensive in dollars and time, some more expensive than others. As I get older, I won't be able to maintain as many acres of food plots as I do now. I'm taking a broad approach including timber management to produce quality native foods. I'm converting some of my plots to "Wildlife Openings" for lack of a better term. I start with a perennial clover base in a fairly small field (sub-acre). I then plant low maintenance fruit trees in the plot. I keep them spaced out enough that I can easily mow between the rows. In my area persimmons are native and they are very low maintenance. I'm also experimenting with Tigertooth jujube grown on its own roots. I'm getting close to being able to recommend them for deer (at least for folks in my zone). I'm also using some pears and disease resistant apples along with mulberry. For nuts, I have mostly Dunstan chestnuts that I've grown from seed and Allegheny Chinquapins grow native here and I've propagated them as well. I'm also using some Dwarf Chinquapin Oaks as they produce nuts at a much younger age than most oak species.
Early in the life of the plot, after establishing the clover, I'll typically mow it once a year in the fall just as cool evening temps are favoring it. I just let it get weedy for the rest of the time and ignore it. The clover provides most of the food in the plot at this time. In my area, Durana is a good fit and lasts 7 to 10 years before it needs rotated. At that point, I'll just bushhog it flat in the fall just as cool evenings are favoring clover. I'll then drill WR and GHR into the field. I T&M buckwheat in the spring picking a very calm day to spray and keeping a safe buffer distance from the trees. I then rotate back to clover with a WR cover crop in the fall.
By this time, we are 14 to 20 years in and hopefully the trees are producing the bulk of the food. A wise choice of trees will keep fruit on the ground over a long period. At that point, I'll stop planting the field completely. I'll just let it grow up in weeds. Every 3 years or so, before the early successional growth becomes woods and too large for my bushhog, I'm bushhog it to the ground. This keeps the field in herbaceous forbs and weeds. It feeds deer and becomes a very low maintenance way to feed in the long run.
If you are young and plan to stay on the same land for the long-haul, this can be a great strategy. As I say, traditional food plots will always be a part of my management, but hopefully as smaller more manageable part as permaculture plays a greater role in the long run.
Thanks,
Jack
