Checking out the CRP

[deadeye]

A number of years ago we planted a riparian buffer between this field and the swamps.  We had financial help when we enrolled in the program.  Things got off to a bad start as many of the (9000) trees never grew. I attributed this to moldy stock.  Most boxes of bare root seedlings very moldy.  In retrospect we probably shouldn't have planted them but being we had hired a crew (tractor, planter and three people) and not knowing if they would be ok or not, we went ahead.  By fall I could tell it was a huge mistake as the majority never even leafed out. Yes, I did go back to the soil and water people and the only thing I got was an offer to give me some replacement trees the following spring.  It took many year of replacement plantings to establish enough tree cover to consider it a buffer.  There are numerous oaks in the grass but the deer have been keeping them down to waist level.

[Outdoors Junkie]

It looks great DE.

My dad & I bought our first 40 acres of hunting land a couple years ago and this year we planted our first apple trees, oak trees, made our first clover food plot, made a couple trails around two sides of our property boundaries (plan to make trails around the other two sides next year). I love the stories and experiences that you share here on MNO. I share them with my dad and we try to apply the ones that will benefit our property (which are most of them).

Thanks for sharing!

[Smokey Hills Bandit]

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[deadeye]

Here's a suggestion from a forester.  I have a lot of these oaks being held to 3 feet by constant browsing.  He said to cut them off at the base and protect them next year as the new shoot comes up.  They will regrow from the stump probably 3 feet the first year and probably be 5 feet high the second.  Prune to one stem.

[Smokey Hills Bandit]

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