Speed up the "thickening"

[dtabor]

Im going to be doing alot of edge feathering around my plots after deer season closes, or closer to spring depending on our winter.

Is there a way to speed up the thickening after the cut? I dont want it to be so bare for so long that deer abandon my area.

Some smaller maples I plan to try to hinge so hopefully that will add to the attraction.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Obviously, you have taken care of the biggest requirement, letting sunshine in. You could seed something, but be careful, if your seeding a grass type planting it could choke out some of the seeds already in the earth, I'd probably just let nature take care of it. Hinging maples is the best thing that you can do, they will sprout leaves for up to three seasons and provide cover until the underbrush gets going.
The best thing you can do otherwise is to get all the 10-10-10 fertilizer you can afford and spread it around the areas where you want to grow thickets, this will cut the growing time needed by half. You should spread it that there's a grain for every several square inches. If you have a big plot sitting a mechanical blower like a TOMAHAWK 4 Gallon Motorized Backpack Spreader for Granular Fertilizer could be an option, although I haven't used it myself, if your talking about a small plot, using a 5 gallon bucket and walking the field edge using a small coal scoop to sling the fertilizer into the edge it works very well, I have done this myself with good success, and plan to do a lot more this spring. March is a good time to do this.

 

[g squared 23]

Disclaimer: I don’t like maples.

I prefer to cut maples off as opposed to hinging them. I don’t want the top to stay alive and shade anything else out. I’d rather something different grow in its place. They will still likely stump sprout creating good browse, but will open the area to more diversity and create a higher stem count.

That maple tree provides absolutely no cover as is, so cutting a bunch will not open things up nearly as much as you think it will, even in the short term. The sun will hit the ground and you’ll be shocked at how much growth you get the first year. Edge feathering is a lot of work, especially if you’re dealing with some bigger trees, but few projects improve the habitat as effectively or efficiently.


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[MarkDarvin]

I wouldn't sweat the rebound period. It's going to happen no matter what you do. Rip off the bandaid and get it started. If you really wanted to do something that wouldn't alter the regen trajectory much, throw some gypsum and weak annuals out there too. Fixation balansa, forage barley, sunflowers, buckwheat, peas or beans if you can find cheap seed, japanese millet, collards etc.

Once you get that first year done, keep cutting somewhere. Then you'll always have a prime pocket of new browse on hand.

 

[Elkaddict]

If you want to speed things up and have the spare coin, I’d get some lime spread. Lime spread in our plots has mad a huge difference in the native growth. For example, golden rod has easily seen a 50-75% jump in size. For edge feathering, it’s worth the effort in my opinion.

 

[George]

Im going to be doing alot of edge feathering around my plots after deer season closes, or closer to spring depending on our winter.

Is there a way to speed up the thickening after the cut? I dont want it to be so bare for so long that deer abandon my area.

Some smaller maples I plan to try to hinge so hopefully that will add to the attraction.

Fire.

G

 

[George]

Im going to be doing alot of edge feathering around my plots after deer season closes, or closer to spring depending on our winter.

Is there a way to speed up the thickening after the cut? I dont want it to be so bare for so long that deer abandon my area.

Some smaller maples I plan to try to hinge so hopefully that will add to the attraction.

This is a good one.

Restoring Fire-Adapted Oak-Pine Communities at The Dome, Green Mountain National Forest - YouTube

G

 

[dtabor]

This is a good one.

Restoring Fire-Adapted Oak-Pine Communities at The Dome, Green Mountain National Forest - YouTube

G

Thank you George.

Fire isnt used very commonly around here. Not sure why since its so useful elsewhere.

I had actually thought about that for the leaf litter etc.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Thank you George.

Fire isnt used very commonly around here. Not sure why since its so useful elsewhere.

I had actually thought about that for the leaf litter etc.

Fire is uncommon in Pennsylvania as well, for some reason people are very paranoid to burning brush.

 

[George]

Thank you George.

Fire isnt used very commonly around here. Not sure why since its so useful elsewhere.

I had actually thought about that for the leaf litter etc.

Fire is uncommon in Pennsylvania as well, for some reason people are very paranoid to burning brush.

They'll put you in jail in NY, for example, just for flicking your Bic.

Iowa would occasionally send someone out to have a peek, that's all they ever did.

Colorado set me up with court hearings 60 miles away for a put to bed campfire in my backyard.

KY says a $10,000 fine for burning during the ban hours which is 90% of the burn season. I asked the forester that took inventory if he was really going to fine me 10k and he said no. Fire is a foreign entity here in ky for the most part but they do show some understanding albeit from the perspective of 2 guys that spend most of the ban season putting out fires.

Truth is they want oak regeneration and fire is the one component that makes oak regen possible.

G

 

[Mitch123]

It’s illegal in WV to burn the forest floor. We have burnt fields in the past, but after talk to local DNR a while back it came up that it was illegal, unfortunately.

 

[Long Cut]

“Land of the Free”.....

If someone wants to burn on their own property, during the proper time frame and follows the rules, I don’t see how that’s an issue.

Smoky the Bear killed more wildlife than all poachers combined.