Native Grass For Partial Shade?

[deer patch]

I have thinned some timber and was going to do a control burn this winter to get good seed to ground contact. Is there any type of native grass that will tolerate partial shaded areas or am I just wasting my time?

 

[Native Hunter]

All of my native grasses thin out when they get near the edge of the woods. The tree roots are a problem along with the lack of sunlight. You would be better off with natural regeneration of your native tree species if you are looking for cover.

 

[deer patch]

Thanks NH. I was afraid you were going to tell me that. Indian Wood Oats are growing there now but they never stand through the whole winter. Would some type of native grass at least add some structure in that type of situation?

 

[Native Hunter]

Thanks NH. I was afraid you were going to tell me that. Indian Wood Oats are growing there now but they never stand through the whole winter. Would some type of native grass at least add some structure in that type of situation?

You could experiment with some switchgrass in a few spots and see how it does. It has the most shade tolerance of the most common known NWSGs. The wild ryes, like Virginia Wild Rye are more shade tolerant than switch, but I still think they would struggle with the tree roots. Blackberry briers will thrive around trees better than most NWSGs if they can get enough sunlight.

 

[deer patch]

You could experiment with some switchgrass in a few spots and see how it does. It has the most shade tolerance of the most common known NWSGs. The wild ryes, like Virginia Wild Rye are more shade tolerant than switch, but I still think they would struggle with the tree roots. Blackberry briers will thrive around trees better than most NWSGs if they can get enough sunlight.

If I remember correctly dgallow talked about Kanlow Switch growing in semi shade, so I may give that a try. Your probably correct with trees zapping the moisture because I’ve seen it in my plot edges before during the late summer months. I have patches of blackberry and raspberry growing in different spots across the farm and it attracts bears during the summer so I don’t want to promote those anymore than I have already. I’ve said it many times…I dislike bears for several reasons.

 

[Native Hunter]

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Mennoniteman]

All of my native grasses thin out when they get near the edge of the woods. The tree roots are a problem along with the lack of sunlight. You would be better off with natural regeneration of your native tree species if you are looking for cover.

In my experience growing up on a farm the crops beside the field edges along the woods didn't look much different from the rest of the field, but now my food plots don't grow anything within 20 feet of an oak tree, and I've figured out the difference.
#1 Years ago when a tree within 20 feet of the field edge got to be more than a foot in diameter my dad would cut them up for firewood because they were the easiest wood to get. I'm managing for deer and let big oaks grow for acorns.
#2 (This is the important one) We plowed every year and cut off all the tree roots that were tapping critical water away from the crops. I farm no-till, and recently I've discovered that tree roots are growing twenty feet out into my fields! This year I took my chisel plow into my worst field for having no crops close to oak trees (pines are not much of a problem) and ripped a ten foot wide swath around the perimeter and it's making a big difference. I think that I will have to do this around the perimeter of all my plots, but to totally to fix this problem I will probably sacrifice a few big oaks, because at these particular fields plot acre size is more valuable than a few oak trees.
Anyway, back on topic, through some experimenting, I've figured the same thing that you said; the reason why it's so hard to grow anything in partial shade is a water problem from tree roots tapping away every drop of moisture, much more than the lack of sunlight.

 

[Mennoniteman]

If I remember correctly dgallow talked about Kanlow Switch growing in semi shade, so I may give that a try. Your probably correct with trees zapping the moisture because I’ve seen it in my plot edges before during the late summer months. I have patches of blackberry and raspberry growing in different spots across the farm and it attracts bears during the summer so I don’t want to promote those anymore than I have already. I’ve said it many times…I dislike bears for several reasons.

You have bear problems in Arkansas? I knew you had mountains, I just never thought of it as a big bear state. Agreed on disliking bears around for several different reasons.

 

[Native Hunter]

In my experience growing up on a farm the crops beside the field edges along the woods didn't look much different from the rest of the field, but now my food plots don't grow anything within 20 feet of an oak tree, and I've figured out the difference.
#1 Years ago when a tree within 20 feet of the field edge got to be more than a foot in diameter my dad would cut them up for firewood because they were the easiest wood to get. I'm managing for deer and let big oaks grow for acorns.
#2 (This is the important one) We plowed every year and cut off all the tree roots that were tapping critical water away from the crops. I farm no-till, and recently I've discovered that tree roots are growing twenty feet out into my fields! This year I took my chisel plow into my worst field for having no crops close to oak trees (pines are not much of a problem) and ripped a ten foot wide swath around the perimeter and it's making a big difference. I think that I will have to do this around the perimeter of all my plots, but to totally to fix this problem I will probably sacrifice a few big oaks, because at these particular fields plot acre size is more valuable than a few oak trees.
Anyway, back on topic, through some experimenting, I've figured the same thing that you said; the reason why it's so hard to grow anything in partial shade is a water problem from tree roots tapping away every drop of moisture, much more than the lack of sunlight.

Great feedback, and right along with my line of thinking.

 

[George]

You could experiment with some switchgrass in a few spots and see how it does. It has the most shade tolerance of the most common known NWSGs. The wild ryes, like Virginia Wild Rye are more shade tolerant than switch, but I still think they would struggle with the tree roots. Blackberry briers will thrive around trees better than most NWSGs if they can get enough sunlight.

No shout out to jap stilt grass?

G

 

[Native Hunter]

No shout out to jap stilt grass?

G

 

[TX-Aggie]

Not a grass, but my farm gets buck brush along the field edges right up to the tree lines, and into the less canopied areas. It tends to stand up fairly well in fall/winter, and gets fairly thick in some areas. Maybe an option - similar to blackberries and raspberries. It does lose its leaves in winter, but high stem count gives some cover.

My grandfather would purposely leave patches around his fields available for deer in season and winter. He would hunt those like a food plot - one buck laid down in the brush, and my grandfather had to wait until he stood up to shoot due to the cover provided.

 

[deer patch]

Not a grass, but my farm gets buck brush along the field edges right up to the tree lines, and into the less canopied areas. It tends to stand up fairly well in fall/winter, and gets fairly thick in some areas. Maybe an option - similar to blackberries and raspberries. It does lose its leaves in winter, but high stem count gives some cover.

My grandfather would purposely leave patches around his fields available for deer in season and winter. He would hunt those like a food plot - one buck laid down in the brush, and my grandfather had to wait until he stood up to shoot due to the cover provided.

I burn every three to four years, so brush wouldn't fit my criteria.