Planting Conifers

[XGX7PM]

ł have been doing some reading about conifer stands.

ł have pushed a 14 acre chunk of pines many times which is planted as a grid with equal spacing between each tree. Always see sign, and we've harvested a few deer on this parcel.

Some of what ł'm reading says that this is a great approach for timber harvesters but not ideal for wildlife habitat. They go on to state you should instead plant pockets of 2-15 trees with odd spacing instead of a grid pattern.

ł would like to eventually plant a 2 acre area with conifers to increase bedding and thermal protection and was going to plant it as a grid but now ł'm not sure. This task won't be checked off my to do list for a few years but ł'm wondering how others feel about this?

[ApexerER]

I honestly know very little about this but I have walked through many area's where pines were planted in a grid with equal spacing. Now granted these have been old plantings but the one thing I always noticed walking through was how open they were. I am not sure once the trees are mature that is the cover that deer would be looking for. So to me it makes sense what you are saying about planting them randomly and closer together giving better cover for the deer. Now if you are looking to make a sniper stand where you can shoot a long ways down rows of trees, then the grid pattern would make sense. 

[G-Man]

I have done both, the game prefers random pockets by far . Always on the edge.  Circular or snake like grouping seem to give more edge and therefore more cover and if using a mix of conifers types food as well.  You could also plant squares that are open in the middle. Giving you a hidden meadow that can be a food plot or native grass/ cover. Even a small orchard but need to know your trees as some are effected by rust that is carried by certain pines.

[XGX7PM]

16 hours ago, G-Man said:

I have done both, the game prefers random pockets by far . Always on the edge.  Circular or snake like grouping seem to give more edge and therefore more cover and if using a mix of conifers types food as well.  You could also plant squares that are open in the middle. Giving you a hidden meadow that can be a food plot or native grass/ cover. Even a small orchard but need to know your trees as some are effected by rust that is carried by certain pines.

Thanks G-Man, always appreciate your input.

Makes sense to me. The open square is something ł thought about also, seems like a solid idea.

Rust is something ł'm reading up on as it has been brought up to me before.

[LET EM GROW]

definitely plant small pockets of these conifers vs a 2 acre stand. Plant them in pockets and in between the pockets plant some native grasses or let it grow hay/golden rod and dont mow it.. In between a few pockets put in a strip of a small food plot or 2 and add some fruit trees in between the pockets.