wvdeerhunter22

I am facing a somewhat unusual management situation. My work is going to be bringing me back into the area of the family farm. This land, in my opinion has excellent potential to become prime habitat. In the past few years i have been able to hunt 5 or six days, now however, i will be on out of town for 3 weeks and home for 3 week. I have an idea for my management plan, but my question is this: it is possible, even likely that I will only be in the area for 2 years, I am the only one with an intrest in managing the land so i need a crop/forage, that will not be an eye sore when I am gone and the family that lives there is just mowing regularly.

I call it a farm, but it is not really farmed any more.

I was thinking a clover-orchardgrass mixture, heavy on the clover.
I realize there are many more nutricious options, but i need somthing that will be ok if/when i leave again.

To summarize my question; what crop combination would be best to leave an asthetically acceptable field if I have to leave?

Thanks
DRG

Thank you
DRG

Dan O.

Why don't you just reseed (white clover), fertilize and cut the current clover/grass and improve it for the deer? It's there already so it shouldn't be any different to others using the property.

Dan O.

portable ladder

How about a mixture of Oats and Clover?

BuckAlley

wv, I wouldn't mix a grass & clover unless you or someone would be there to mow it a couple times a season. The grass will choke out your clover, becasue it'll grow so much taller. I once planted a strut & rut mix, which was basically clover & annual rye grass. I wasn't able to get it mowed as soon as I should've, and the grass grew knee high & choked out alot of the clover. I had to replant the clover the following spring.
Your in a tough situation by only having a few wks to do this, and then leaving it. A annual might be your best bet, if able to do it both yrs your back in the area. Something like Imperial No-plow annual mix. Another thought would be do you have another operating farm down the road aways. Maybe speak to them & offer the area to them to plow, plant & maintain for you. I know farmers are often looking for new fields to grow their crops on.

wvdeerhunter22

Buck,

I hesitate to do an annual becaues if i have leave, the field will not get replanted, the annual will die and weeds will come in.

Having the field mowed will not be a problem. Even I am not there, in fact my concern would be it getting mowed to much.

I am not sure about your area, but in northern WV red clover/orchard grass is a very popular, successful hayfield mix. Cut twice per year, i belive that the clover can still flourish and If I leave the orchardgrass can take over and the field will be fine for what is used for now, nothing.

BuckAlley

Guess I got the impression it might not get taken care of. But heck long as it'll get mowed, your golden for the 2 yrs your around, and your right after that its on its own.