Converting fescue via shrub planting...how to?

[CAS_HNTR]

We have several areas of crappy fescue and/or solid junk pasture that we want to convert to a brushy area. Some of the areas we are going to be discing up to see what happens, but others are surely will be going the route of planting to get something more desirable than goldenrod and poplar to grow.

Anyways, anyone have a good suggestion for the best way to do this as I don't really want to protect each bush individually. I was thinking of doing it in blocks and simple fencing it in with cheap snow fence? I figure 100 ft of fence on each side for a 30 yard square......plant, protect for a year, repeat.

I am a little worried about deer just jumping in and chowing down, but I think it may be limited.

 

[X-farmerdan]

I don't know about protecting your new plantings from browsing, but I want to suggest you kill the fescue....and keep it killed.

 

[j-bird]

I agree with above - the fescue has to go. That needs to be the first priority. Fescue creates a dense root mat and will literally choke out nearly everything else. I would wait on planting anything until you knew you had the fescue under control. Then the seed bank will be released and you can plant or scatter additional seeds and the like. If the area is near other timber that will help as well.

if you want specific plants in this area then you will need to plant them. You will have to protect them OR simply plant so many the deer can't eat them all! As far as protecting large areas I would look into how folks protect food plots with electric fences and the like. I think you will need to protect them for a few years until they are established enough to be able to withstand the browsing pressure - only a year and I fear deer would still eat your shrub planting to the ground!

All just my opinion.

 

[dogghr]

A small area fenced prob would deter deer. But around here unless fence is at least 8 ft they Jst jump it.
As for fescue. I have sprayed and some places tried to disturb soil and I tend to get some really crappy weeds that don't interest deer. Next time I'm planting WR and clover then let it just become fallow and see if results are better.


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[dogdoc]

gly will knock that fescue down. I had a 6 acre pure fescue field and sprayed it 2 years ago in very late winter. Killed 90% of the fescue and the field is a jungle now. I need to do some spot spraying this spring to kill what I missed but killing the fescue was one of the best habitat improvements I have done on my place.

 

[MattJK]

We have several areas of crappy fescue and/or solid junk pasture that we want to convert to a brushy area. Some of the areas we are going to be discing up to see what happens, but others are surely will be going the route of planting to get something more desirable than goldenrod and poplar to grow.

Anyways, anyone have a good suggestion for the best way to do this as I don't really want to protect each bush individually. I was thinking of doing it in blocks and simple fencing it in with cheap snow fence? I figure 100 ft of fence on each side for a 30 yard square......plant, protect for a year, repeat.

I am a little worried about deer just jumping in and chowing down, but I think it may be limited.

Are you willing to plant in rows? Very narrow fence spacing, say 4-8 ft will deter most deer from jumping in. Could be a fun way to set up a few pinch points too.

 

[X-farmerdan]

W figure 100 ft of fence on each side for a 30 yard square......plant, protect for a year, repeat.

I am a little worried about deer just jumping in and chowing down, but I think it may be limited.

Here's a thought. and I have no experience with it, but the source is credible. I once worked for this big regional coop, and to keep the story simple, I'll just say the coop had a research farm where many different seed varieties were planted to replicate various treatments. This farm had a horrendous deer problem....as in always eating EVERYTHING that was planted. The farm manager ran three smooth electric fence wires on plastic 6ft posts. Each wire was offset and at a different height. I don't know what the horizontal spacing was, Maybe the second strand was two feet away, horizontally, from the first and the third three feet. And then each of the wires was at different heights. Again, I don't know the pattern. But, the farm manager was very happy with the result. He said deer have a depth perception problem and this configuration just freaked them out. They couldn't figure out how to jump it.

 

[David]

Here's a thought. and I have no experience with it, but the source is credible. I once worked for this big regional coop, and to keep the story simple, I'll just say the coop had a research farm where many different seed varieties were planted to replicate various treatments. This farm had a horrendous deer problem....as in always eating EVERYTHING that was planted. The farm manager ran three smooth electric fence wires on plastic 6ft posts. Each wire was offset and at a different height. I don't know what the horizontal spacing was, Maybe the second strand was two feet away, horizontally, from the first and the third three feet. And then each of the wires was at different heights. Again, I don't know the pattern. But, the farm manager was very happy with the result. He said deer have a depth perception problem and this configuration just freaked them out. They couldn't figure out how to jump it.

stupid question....were the wires live?

 

[X-farmerdan]

stupid question....were the wires live?

I don't know. I was amazed I could remember what I did! I would guess they were hot. It was a coop and the coop did sell any number and variety of fence chargers. The wire was up and ready for it. But, I still think that was secondary to the offset positioning.