The Lunchable Lawn?

[sailinghudson25]

I'm putting in 2 formal food plots with plenty of edible brush transplants.

However, I still got tons of land on this 8 acre property.

I am looking to do 3 things..... 

-I'm scratching up areas of the lawn, dressing up with lime and fertilizer, and putting some dutch white clover down.

The 1st thing I'd like to do is reseed a 1/2 acre at a time to something the deer would like better.  I could plant a small grain crop with the clovered up lawn, then let it drift to lawn.  This is the backyard area that can be mown a touch taller or less often.  There is some ATV traffic here, but the kids don't ride too often.  There are 2 huge brush piles, so they'll be some good spots.

The 2nd thing is perennial flowbed and under a few shady trees.  Some people put crown vetch down.  Is there a decorative plant I can grow like a flowerbed, but the deer enjoy.   I hunt in PA, I believe the oaks have wintergreen under them.  Just not sure if it's that or japanese barberry. 

 

[growalot]

Don't plant anything that cost much...like hosta...Dang deer love to eat hosta. Mr B just told me he has some free wild flower seeds arriving...not sure where he got them but It's has something to do with bees. He's now gotten into them himself... So if you want pretty and it's in some shade ,look for a shady wild flower mix...There are many wild flowers deer eat. go dig up some wild day lilies, cone flowers, buttercup,(even though these cause rashes on people), blue lupine, poke weed is an all time favorite of deer..over soybeans here. I love seeing where it is popping up even in plots It will always get a pass on mowing or spraying.. ...but poisonous to kids...

http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2016/06/12/13-garden-plants-deer-will-utterly-destroy/

http://www.gardenguides.com/97288-types-flowers-deer-eat.html

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/single_weed.php?id=112

http://www.abundantnature.com/2013/10/more-deer-sign-in-pokeberry-patch.html

Edited March 7, 2017 by growalot

[TACC]

Good info

Sent from my SM-G900T3 using Tapatalk

[sailinghudson25]

So, the lunchable lawn is weedy, perhaps intentionally weedy.

I was thinking of adding dandelion.  I noticed a few food plot seeds had various lettuce seeds in it.  Romain and stuff like arugula. 

I had seen a no-till mix with plantain.  I have that stuff in my yard, but the deer never touch it.  It could be too mature for their liking though.

 

The base of the lunchable lawn has to be some sort of grass.   Any advice here.    I have planted throw-n-grow ryegrass.  The deer were not in love with it, but ate the seedy heads.  However, the lunchable lawn will be mowed too frequently for this.   Orchardgrass perhaps?   

 

It sounds like I'm just going to lime it up to 6.5 and apply like it's going on the the 1st 2 inches.  I'll scratch it with the spring harrows a touch, and then add in dutch white clover, some fertilizier, and 4lbs an acre of borax soap.   Not sure if dutch white needs it much or not, like ladino and red clover.   This will be in 2 week or so.  I may reseed properly with some more clover and grass, or just see how this stuff grows.

 

This is .25 acre corner I am experimenting with.  Right next to it is a .25 acre food plot I tilled up with a rototiller and put 10 bags of lime and 3lbs of borax in it.  I will be frost seeding dutch white clover around the edges in preparation of transplanting a row of red osier dogwood, then a row of prairie willow, then a row of arborvitae, and then chestnut trees in the corners, and 2 rows of chestnut trees on either side of the lawn.  One row will be next to exisitng 100 year old apple trees.   This winter was too wierd to prune these old girls which hasn't been doen in many many years, but I limed them and fertilized in the fall. 

 

I also got a .13 acre food plot on a not so good soil spot.  Put 5 bags of lime, peddington grass starter fertilizer, a bit or borax, and a combination of red, arrowleaf, and ladino clover, with a bit of chicory in it too.   Planted that 2 weeks ago.  When they come it, it'll get a few more red cedars to finish up a privacy row, 2 rows of dogwood to the side facing the yard of the house, and on the shorter face I need to cover up arborvitae. 

The lunchable lawn is getting a ton of shrubs this year.  About 150 dogwood and willows, 75 arborvitae, 20 hazelnut trees.   Ontop of all that, I'm scratching up patches of 6 acres worth of lawn and ading 5lb worth of dutch white clover seed.

[growalot]

Love  experiments...rye grass will take over and crowd out...Italian sweet ryes won't handle very cold so will die out a bot. Sunflowers but good luck with that..man deer love them.  I've thrown out bok chi seed grew great deer loved it..Swiss chard,spinach,cosmos,golden rod. I'll buy old of really cheap seed to toss in special test areas.

[growalot]

Hmmm typed bok choy not chi