What would be the best thing to plant on my trails

[BJE80]

So once I get my trails all fixed up and ditched correct I will want to plant some type of plant to suck up moisture and keep from rutting it up again. It it doesn't got a ton of sunlight since it is dense tall trees adjacent and is only 5-6' wide and it runs east/west. My soils are heavy poorly drained clays with a PH in the range of 5.3-5.5. I will hire one of the neighbors to mow it. I would prefer it not be a desirable food source as I would rather not run into deer while heading to my stand. We are talking about 5/8- 3/4 mile of trails right now.

This is what my trails look like.

This is worst part which I think we may need to go around when I have the dozen come in and fix it.

As you can see there are places where it is ditched nice and I have been able to not rut it up. Other areas I should of stayed off more when it was damp not knowing how bad it was going to get so quick in this clay. Live and learn. Once I get this all fixed what should I plant to stabilize and protect these trails?

 

[tooln]

Reed Canary Grass, isn't that Invasive?

 

[Dave63]

I would plant lots and lots of rocks with stone on top..lol

 

[BJE80]

How about alsike clover?

My concern with that would be deer feeding on the trails? Plus how would aslike grow with those PH's?

 

[BJE80]

Reed Canary Grass :eek::D

So are you being serious or tounge in cheek?

 

[BJE80]

What about just rye grass? That was my first thought.

 

[BJE80]

A little of both. RCG would not draw deer to the trails for food and would grow in those conditions....but it is aggressive and can be invasive as well.

Would it spread and grow in the big timber with little or no sunlight?

 

[BJE80]

I don't know if rye grass will grow with consistently wet feet. It may

Once we get the trails fixed the water will run off. The problem is the water gets trapped in ruts and just sits there. Where the water runs off I should be able to grow anything. Look at my avatar. Same soils. Just proper drainage.

 

[tooln]

I would plant lots and lots of rocks with stone on top..lol

Where do you get that seed. ;)

 

[Dave63]

Where do you get that seed. ;)

Stone Quarries...lol

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Sorry, but I would not waste any time planting anything.

 

[BJE80]

Sorry, but I would not waste any time planting anything.

What would you do?

 

[MoBuckChaser]

What would you do?

Get a guy in there with a dozer and crown your trails and then plant Alsike and Med Red Clover

 

[BJE80]

I can't imagine a half mile of gravel in large breaker run that would not just get pushed in how much that would cost.

 

[BJE80]

Get a guy in there with a dozer and crown your trails and then plant Alsike and Med Red Clover

I'm confused. Lol. Perhaps you missed where I said after I get the trails fixed.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Cut a small ditch on each side with a angle dozer and push the spoil to the middle with a crown in mind so the water runs off. Skip the gravel and plant

 

[wiscwhip]

In addition to the creeping red fescue, which will do better in the drier areas, rough bluegrass and supina bluegrass are both excellent choices for shady, wet areas. I would plant a mixture of the 3.

 

[bat man]

Are these the trails that run through the center of your property?

 

[BJE80]

Mo. I understand what crowning is. I said I would get all the trails ditched and crowned with a Dozer. After that I wanted to know what the best thing to plant is.