Bo’s Hideaway

[chbarnha]

Question for the experts, in the above pic you can see what’s left of what I planted in the fall. The rye is growing good, and the brassicas are still there. I’m planning to plant the green cover summer release in this plot in the summer. Would you disc it under or just broadcast into the rye and brassicas? New to all this so full of questions.


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[Triple C]

chbarnha...Just catching up on your thread. Always great to follow a new property threads. Congrats on the acquisition of your property. I know you are having a blast landscaping for wildlife. Love the old Ford tractor. Brings back memories from my youth.

 

[Paradise725]

Question for the experts, in the above pic you can see what’s left of what I planted in the fall. The rye is growing good, and the brassicas are still there. I’m planning to plant the green cover summer release in this plot in the summer. Would you disc it under or just broadcast into the rye and brassicas? New to all this so full of questions.


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I’m planting the summer release for first time this year. We plan to terminate with herbicide and no till plant. In general, I would avoid tillage. I think I’d look into spray, throw, mow later on in the spring when the rye is starting to get taller.


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[chbarnha]

Well I’m back on another 3-11 week which means it’s time to get some stuff knocked out that needs to be done on the land. This morning was plenty productive, I’ve been waiting for some tree tubes for about 3 months and they finally came in. I swapped out some of the old reused tubes with these fresh new tubes that are vented, the old ones were not.

I also picked up some thornless blackberries and two blueberry bushes two nights ago at TSC. They are the Degroot brand and unsure of how well they will do. All were showing green growth on pickup and were discounted 40% so why not try them. I also picked up against my better judgement two of their apple trees at the same discount. I got a Golden Delicious and a red Delicious as seen in the pictures. Did I screw up by trying any of these plants?

Also I have been reading some of the posts on here if how detrimental tubes can be to fruit trees, so I decided to remove the tubes from three of my
Seedling crabs and just cage them. I used a loose zip tie to keep the tree “straight” with my tube stakes.

Also built and installed 4 bluebird houses on the front plot. Forgot to take a picture of them but I’m trying to benefit all wildlife and bluebirds are one of my favorite small birds.

Blackberries in their final resting place.

Anything I’m doing wrong or should avoid? I’m open to all advice!

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[chbarnha]

I haven’t gotten much done lately... turkey season! But I have been in a few times to check on things. The rye is really growing and helping the clover to get established it seems. Won’t be long and I’ll have to terminate the rye and get the summer blends in. Overall happy with how this 2nd attempt on this plot is coming.

And the frost seeded clover in the three locations is starting to show promise. Can’t wait to see how it fills in and turns out.

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[chbarnha]

I did take an afternoon I had off one day and clear out around the carport some as well as opened up for more sunlight to get to the “hog lot”. This hog lot was at the front of my property adjacent to the front food plot and hat lots of old fencing and panels that I cleaned up last year. After doing that I planted 6-7 crabapples in there last year and they really seemed to struggle, showing hardly any growth. So I decided to clear out some of the gums and maples blocking the morning sun in this area. They are already leafed out this year and showing signs of improvement. I guess I will find out whether I need to open up some more or if that will suffice.

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[Mennoniteman]

I did take an afternoon I had off one day and clear out around the carport some as well as opened up for more sunlight to get to the “hog lot”. This hog lot was at the front of my property adjacent to the front food plot and hat lots of old fencing and panels that I cleaned up last year. After doing that I planted 6-7 crabapples in there last year and they really seemed to struggle, showing hardly any growth. So I decided to clear out some of the gums and maples blocking the morning sun in this area. They are already leafed out this year and showing signs of improvement. I guess I will find out whether I need to open up some more or if that will suffice.

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Those gums and maples are not only blocking the sun from your crabs, their roots also steal all of the water.
The following info is from USDA;
"A healthy 100-foot-tall tree has about 200,000 leaves. A tree this size can take 11,000 gallons of water from the soil and release it into the air again, as oxygen and water vapor, in a single growing season."
There is a general lack of awareness amongst food plot people of how adjacent woods trees affect things we plant and are trying to grow by stealing all of the water. Giving your crabapples some room to grow is the best thing you could do.
P.S. Pines are not nearly as severe in stealing water because their root systems don't reach out as far.

 

[chbarnha]

I have had a pile of wood laying around next to the carport for a while from a red oak that fell and the assorted gums and maples from the aforementioned project. They were a real eyesore and bothering me. So our came the maul and I split and stacked it this is just for the fire pit to the Gum and maple will get burnt quickly.

This area was adjacent to the carport and an overgrown mess of briars and dead limbs. I cleaned it up. After doing so I think I’m going to get some pavers and make a little patio next to the carport for a grill and possibly a table. I also intend to move the fire pit over this way.

Last year I got some sawtooth acorns from some trees a buddy of mine planted 10-15 years ago. I merely picked an area and a piece of rebar and stuck them in the ground to see what would happen. I am getting growth of them everywhere I planted them. Now though I am unsure if I will move them or just let them fend for themselves and the strong survive. I planted a bunch of sawtooth seedlings and all of them have taken off. I think I would rather diversify more than move more sawtooths around. I so far have 5 different varieties of hybrids from nativ nurseries planted as well as the sawtooths. If you could pick any two or three oaks to diversify your plantings and habitat what would they be? I have red and whites already on the property as well as a few willows.

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[chbarnha]

Well this isn’t really habitat related but I am using this thread to document the little things I do around the land to look back at later. I have had a fire put along the edge of the front food plot for the last year or so and decided that it’s really just in the way. After clearing out next to the carport I decided this was a much better place for it to enjoy while either skinning a deer or just hanging out. So after weed eating around the front food plots sawtooths and chestnuts I decided to move it to what should be it’s last location. I won’t have to weed eat around it near as much and it’s out of the way.

I also have been wanting a small 4wheeler for around the land and carrying up the county to the hunt club when needed. I picked this up from a buddy for 700$. It needs a new carb and some fresh tires down the road, as well as a new seat but don’t think it was bad for what I paid.

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[chbarnha]

HuntStand finally updated their satellite images, now you can see the food plots and get a better idea of what I have going on.

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[chbarnha]

Got a little bit done today before a couple days with rain in the forecast. I have had a camera over my mineral site dead for the last few weeks. She’s back up and running.

The blind that I have on a 6ft stand has always felt naked and exposed to me, so I hatched up an idea and ran with it. I took my mantis tiller and tilled up around the front and start of
The sides of it. I purchased some Domain Outdoors Incognito which is a mix of sorghum and Egyptian wheat to spread there. I will include a label in the photos. Unsure how this will do for concealing the blind and it’s just at the beginning of the plant time recommendation for here but if it does well I will get more and broadcast into it again about august if needed.

I also checked on my trees planted around the back foodplot while I was here. The sawtooths and various hybrid oaks seem to be doing well. The crabs and persimmons are all leafed out and looking good as well with the largest growing tree out of my first years trees looking like it’s really putting on the growth again already this year. This will be their 2nd growing season. What is concerning is all of my wild deer pears from Nativ Nurseries look awful. They grew well last year, atleast I thought. Now the only sign of life I am getting from them is coming from the bases. The growth from last year all appears to be dead. I will give them this year to see what happens, if they still don’t act right I
Will either replace them with more crabs or persimmons or source pears from elsewhere. Open to suggestions on that.

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[chbarnha]

Woke up this morning with full intentions to turkey hunt... walked out the door and the wind was gusting in the 30s with it steady in the 20s and rain coming down sideways. Well at 836 my tactacam went off....

Which brings me to a question, how long should I let this rye stand. It’s about 3.5ft tall. Mainly worried about poults and fawns and rabbits laid in it.

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[Mennoniteman]

Woke up this morning with full intentions to turkey hunt... walked out the door and the wind was gusting in the 30s with it steady in the 20s and rain coming down sideways. Well at 836 my tactacam went off....

Which brings me to a question, how long should I let this rye stand. It’s about 3.5ft tall. Mainly worried about poults and fawns and rabbits laid in it.

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Why wouldn't you let the rye stand? It's benefits are greater if you let it stand than if you cut it. It's excellent fawning cover...

 

[chbarnha]

Why wouldn't you let the rye stand? Its excellent fawning cover...

I’m going to have to bushhog it at some point to get my late summer and fall plots in but I’m planning to leave it till June or so


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[Mennoniteman]

I’m going to have to bushhog it at some point to get my late summer and fall plots in but I’m planning to leave it till June or so


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I'd let it until it's in the yellow straw stage. Straw is the number one best thing to mow down for a throw n mow planting, a layer or straw protects the soil against nutrient loss, and is an excellent source of carbon for your future plots, plus helps prevent erosion.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I'm puzzled by your pears, pears usually grow like weeds. I'd try keiffer pears the next time, they are almost bullet proof as far as disease and drop during archery season. They are more of a cooking pear, not a great pear for eating fresh, but a prolific producer that deer really like. But like @Native Hunter always says, beware of fake keiffers.

 

[chbarnha]

I'm puzzled by your pears, pears usually grow like weeds. I'd try keiffer pears the next time, they are almost bullet proof as far as disease and drop during archery season. They are more of a cooking pear, not a great pear for eating fresh, but a prolific producer that deer really like. But like @Native Hunter always says, beware of fake keiffers.

These are all “wild deer pears” from nativ nurseries. I think I may have to branch out and get some true keiffers or some other varieties from a different nursery. All of my crabs from them are taking off, the pears not so much. Which nursery do you source your pears from?


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[Mennoniteman]

These are all “wild deer pears” from nativ nurseries. I think I may have to branch out and get some true keiffers or some other varieties from a different nursery. All of my crabs from them are taking off, the pears not so much. Which nursery do you source your pears from?


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I bought 10 - 1/2" diameter 4-5 foot tall Keiffer pears from Willis Orchards 2 years ago that are growing well, they flowered and look like they are going to have quite a few pears on this third summer. I bought some more last spring that are looking really good too.

 

[buckdeer1]

I like the asian pears but then again I eat more of them than the deer.Google the list of fire blight resistant and pick some of those.I agree the keiffers are good pears and usually easy to get even at the big box stores

 

[chbarnha]

Well turkey season is winding down with only 3 days left. It’s been a long and hard season for me but I was finally able to capitalize on the longbeard in my 34acres Monday morning. He was strutting with 4 jakes and a hen. Hopefully that means good things to come for the next few years.

He was 22lbs with an 11 1/8” beard and a 1” and 3/4” spur.

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