Dan O.

So what has everybody planned this year in the way of permanent plantings? I' ve got 500 white pines, 400 white spruce and 100 white oak seedlings purchased for the spring. I' m going to direct plant about 5 lb. of hybrid chestnuts and it' ll be interesting to see how the apples and pears faired through the -30 F. weather that my property has been getting. I' ll just put in more of whatever makes it through the winter.

I may sound like a far off in time thing, but I want to try to create a more sheltered area that will hold the deer longer in the fall and maybe even get them to yard over winter on the property. We also got a new pest coming into the province, an Ash bettle. They' re supposed to destroy ash forests and if that happens I need new growth of other species coming along.

Dan O.

btpatriot02

As you know dan o I' m planting white and red oaks and some apple trees. And I' m trying to get some ideas on some beech trees that is for my zones. I guess that the deer and the black bears like them also.But I have another ? for you do you know if deer wil feed on cherry trees?and on grapes and rasberries?

SwampTHING

DanO how much snow do you have up on your property?

I was talking to a local on the island a couple days ago,, he says there is 3+ feet of it on the island. Guesstimates there are over 300+ deer yarded up on the property and they dont even move when he takes the snowmobile down the road. Hes upped our tree cutting from 5-6 a week to 5-6 every 2 days! I hope we dont have a major die-off!

TimberPig

This is the first year Ive had any land to work with, so I' m jumping in with both feet. Ive got 500 each of Red oak, Bur oak, and White oak, 500 green ash, 500 wild plum, 250 Nanking cherry, 500 white pine, and 250 norway spruce. These seedlings are supposed to be here in about 6 weeks, and will be planted with a mechanical tree planter. I am planning to put in about 6-12 apple trees of a couple different varieties for a future food source. Also have 3 acres of Cave-In-Rock switchgrass seed on the way, hopefully will have about 4 more acres to plant next year. Ive pheasant hunted in this stuff before and it can get well over head tall and REALLY thick, great bedding areas when there is hunting pressure on nearby land. I have jumped deer in this type of grass, right under my feet, and watched them run 40 yards and lay back down, ya cant hardly run ' em out of it at times.

timbercruiser

I' m going to try to put out a few Sawtooth Oaks this weekend.

Dan O.

btpatriot02: I know deer feed on grapes and raspberries but I think the bird' s get most of the wild (black) cherries before they make it down to the ground.

Swampthing; the neighbours say that there' s about 3-4 feet on the ground but I won' t be up there until next week. It doesn' t look good, this late in the winter, with that much snow and the temperatures that we' re getting. We can only hope for a quick thaw.

Timberpig; you' re jumping in with more than both feet. You may want to add a few Sawtooth oaks for a quicker crop. I' d also seriously look at a few dozen Persimmons. They' re bomb proof when it comes to insects and disease.

timbercruiser; I know you' re jealous that we can do snow angels for the next month or so but not everyone can have our weather. I' d like to get my hands on a groundhog that last showed his face on Feb 2. I think he needs a retirement party.

Dan O.

TimberPig

Dan O, the trees have been recommended by the DNR and that is what I have to go by since they will be planted in a NRCS funded riparian buffer. As far as oaks go, Ive got more mature white oaks on this place than any other tree. Makes it kind of hard to pick out a spot for a stand when the acorns fall! I forgot about the persimmons, but I am going to try to locate some to plant in with the apple trees. Thanks for your suggestions.

Grey Ghost

Dan 0 -I have planted about 3,000 Spruce and two hundred White Pine, in the last four years, on my 40 acres. I dropping back alot this year, only about 200.
I' ve also planted apple and misc. nut trees and this year 20 persimmon trees
that I read about on this site. The most of my trees are planted to block the view of pochers from the dirt road. Hey, Timber Pig, Where did you get the seeds for that switchgrass?

Dan O.

Grey Ghost; I sounds like you' re doing much the same as I am. One thing that I' m doing in the plantings is that I don' t want it to mature like a Spruce or pine desert. So if I lose a tree here or there I' m filling the open spots with other trees like oaks or mulberries. I forgot to mention that the deer loooovvvvveee mulberries. They chomp on the leaves, use them for scrapes and feed on the fallen fruit. It' s another bombproof, quick maturing tree to help wildlfe and break up the landscape.

The other thing that my plantings have is continuity with existing treelines and nice little 2-3 acre openings for future food plots. Somebodies going to have a real honey hole there in 30 - 40 years.

Dan O.

TimberPig

Grey Ghost- I ordered the Cave-In-Rock seed from Pheasants Forever. I atcually filled out the order, enclosed a check, and gave them to my local County Conservation Board, who will forward them when they have recieved a few orders from other people. Prices are supposed to be cheaper this way, 3 acres / 21 lbs PLS cost $118 with shipping. A few of the native grass mixes where very expensive, some over $150 / acre. I could not find this info on the PF website, may take a phone call. There was a nice thread on here about a month ago regarding prairie grasses. Also- ditto on what Dan O said about mulberry trees, you cant hardly kill the things and deer feed on them right in my yard in broad daylight. Raccoons also love them which is why the presents they leave on your treestand seat are purple in the early season.