What to plant tree wise

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
I have 176 acres or so here and it is a mix of swamp, cutovers of various ages, pines and a few scattered oaks here and there. Farmer generally plants beans sweet potatoes or tobacco with cover crop during fall/winter time. Would I really gain anything by planting sawtooth oaks, soft mast trees or any other 'forage' tree given the diversity of habitat I have? I would like to plant a few places I have in oaks and maybe soft mast, but just dont know if I would gain any benefit.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have 176 acres or so here and it is a mix of swamp, cutovers of various ages, pines and a few scattered oaks here and there. Farmer generally plants beans sweet potatoes or tobacco with cover crop during fall/winter time. Would I really gain anything by planting sawtooth oaks, soft mast trees or any other 'forage' tree given the diversity of habitat I have? I would like to plant a few places I have in oaks and maybe soft mast, but just dont know if I would gain any benefit.
Most "white" oaks bear every two years where sawtooth oaks bear yearly, so there's always a crop of acorns although they may not be as thick as other years. Soft mast can benefit you as well, I love me some muscadines in season and so do most critters out there, so a bunch of vines planted in a certain spot gives you another yearly crop of food which is pretty dependable when mature and bearing.
Both of these are examples of foods that are not hard to grow and will be generating yearly sources of soft mast that is very huntable. Plus it's just fun watching the fruits of your own labors come to fruition.
 

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
I have 176 acres or so here and it is a mix of swamp, cutovers of various ages, pines and a few scattered oaks here and there. Farmer generally plants beans sweet potatoes or tobacco with cover crop during fall/winter time. Would I really gain anything by planting sawtooth oaks, soft mast trees or any other 'forage' tree given the diversity of habitat I have? I would like to plant a few places I have in oaks and maybe soft mast, but just dont know if I would gain any benefit.
Most "white" oaks bear every two years where sawtooth oaks bear yearly, so there's always a crop of acorns although they may not be as thick as other years. Soft mast can benefit you as well, I love me some muscadines in season and so do most critters out there, so a bunch of vines planted in a certain spot gives you another yearly crop of food which is pretty dependable when mature and bearing.
Both of these are examples of foods that are not hard to grow and will be generating yearly sources of soft mast that is very huntable. Plus it's just fun watching the fruits of your own labors come to fruition.

Already have a good number of grape vines spread out on the farm. I don’t think I have any white oaks, almost everything I have is red oak of some variety. I have 2 places that would be great for something like persimmons or pears. Some sort of fruit tree would be really great in these places. I honestly wouldn’t even hunt these areas but would just plant for the critters.


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para4514

Eight Pointer
Contributor
Certainly would not hurt anything, but not sure you are going to gain very much real benefit over managing what you already have. Kill some junk trees to get more sunlight on your grapes. Check field edges for female persimmons or native plums that can be released to produce more fruit. Confirm if you have any white oaks, if so remove or kill the surrounding competing trees. Don't overlook beech and blackgum for the turkeys.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Already have a good number of grape vines spread out on the farm. I don’t think I have any white oaks, almost everything I have is red oak of some variety. I have 2 places that would be great for something like persimmons or pears. Some sort of fruit tree would be really great in these places. I honestly wouldn’t even hunt these areas but would just plant for the critters.


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Pears will do well after a few years of adapting to your soils and environment. Plan to plant 2 or 3 x as many as you think you'll need because of their susceptibility to various tree diseases from local trees. I've had luck with oriental and keifer pears living the longest and every once in awhile another variety will survive the rusts and fungus in my area and produce a fruitful year.
 

hayco10

Eight Pointer
Find maples on the property and saw them about 4 feet up from trunk and halfway through till they fall but not break off. The growth will be at deer level and the will browse on fresh shoots
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
Going off the above, take a good look at what you have already. There is no wait time on maturity for what’s already established. Added sunlight and fertilizer can go a long way in making what you already have more attractive to wildlife. You can take notes from Leopolds 5 tools, the axe, plow, cow, fire, and gun.
 

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Sounds like you would benefit from a good fire. Find you a few areas 10 to 20 acres in size and burn each every 3 years in rotation. You be surprised how much a good burn can do for the native food supply.
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
When have you fertilized the oaks last?
10-10-10 at least once/yr really helps them on our 100+ acres
when neighbors say they having a poor acorn crop, WE DON'T.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
Some new literature/research out now that suggests fertilizing oaks really doesn’t accomplish much.
https://ag.tennessee.edu/fwf/craigharper/Documents/Fertilizing oaks for acorns--Wildlife Trends.pdf

I know they’re non natives, but I really like sawtooth oaks. Deer will walk by them for a white oak acorn but there will produce every year. Plus, they will start producing mast at age 5-7 years. I’ve personally witnessed deer, turkeys, squirrels, groundhogs, rabbits, coons and skunks eating sawtooth acorns. Those critters will eat other acorns too, but the sawtooth acorns will be there every year.
 

Soilman

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Unless you are very young, or want to plant for the benefit of your kids, planting white oaks won't benefit you much because of the maturity time before they set nuts. I'd recommend sawtooth oaks and Chinese chestnuts, maybe some fruit trees. I think both are supposed to start producing nuts within about 8 to 10 years. I'd plant them in clusters throughout the property. That way, you will know the specific spots to set up your stands that will attract deer when they start producing. Fruit trees will do better in more open areas, like the edge of fields, where they can get more sun and less competition.
 

Scrub

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I have 176 acres or so here and it is a mix of swamp, cutovers of various ages, pines and a few scattered oaks here and there. Farmer generally plants beans sweet potatoes or tobacco with cover crop during fall/winter time. Would I really gain anything by planting sawtooth oaks, soft mast trees or any other 'forage' tree given the diversity of habitat I have? I would like to plant a few places I have in oaks and maybe soft mast, but just dont know if I would gain any benefit.

If you have any wild Bradford pears that have come up graft a Bartlett pear or other fruit pear on it.
 

ECU_Pirate

Banned
If I'm not mistaken white oak acorns will drop/last later into the fall/winter while reds drop earlier or don't last as long. Good to have a mix to keep forage around through out the fall/winter. Deer will eat the white oak acorns later In the year when not much else is available. Having late season forage is a good way to ensure they stay on or keeping back to your property. Or maybe I have the red and white thing backwards.... Idk, I can't remember.
 
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