"Yeah, lots of understory trees, for sure; I've tried not to open things up too fast. A good portion of them are shell bark hickory and pawpaw, which I like for the wildlife value (and, for myself...pawpaws are delicious). Many are other…"
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Ben Harris
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- Benjamin Harris
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Shade-tolerant forage seed species and sources?
Started this discussion. Last reply by Ben Harris Aug 7. 7 Replies 0 Likes
As I thin some woods and open up some edge lines, I'm hoping to seed some perennial shade-tolerant forages. I'm mainly focused on wildlife at this point (I don't yet own livestock), and hope to get…Continue
Searching for tree seeds
Started Jan 11 0 Replies 0 Likes
Hey y'all,I'm in search of tree seeds - fruits, nuts, fodder, N fixers, etc. Do you have favorite seed/nut sources or cultivars? I'm looking for production and vigor. Disease resistance will reveal…Continue
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"Ben,
From the photo, it appears that your nice trees are well-spaced for silvopasture, but that there are still a significant number of small-diameter stems - most or all of which are probably non-commercial species and/or suppressed shade-tolerant…"
"Thanks, Brett!
Unfortunately, stilt grass is growing in the sunnier spots right now. BUT in sections of the woods that I selectively thinned 1-2 years ago, the same stilt grass has given way to a much more diverse mix of cool and warm season grasses…"
"Limited shade tolerance studies indicate that Reed Canary, Orchardgrass and Tall Fescue and Bluegrass are amongst the most shade-tolerant cool season grasses, roughly in that order. However, varieties within species seem to matter.
The…"
"Again, I am not sure where you are located, but in my regular pastures in central MI, i have a fair amount of trefoil, which i like. I wonder how that would perform in a silvopasture. If any on this forum can weigh in, i would like to learn about…"
"Thanks, Kable. I've looked at orchard grass, and it's towards the top of my list. If only it spread more prolifically... That it's so deep-rooting is appealing, for sure."
"Hi Benjamin, here is MI, our forage specialist recommended Orchard Grass as one of the grass species. Not sure what you would plant in your area. Good Luck! "
Shade-tolerant forage seed species and sources?
As I thin some woods and open up some edge lines, I'm hoping to seed some perennial shade-tolerant forages. I'm mainly focused on wildlife at this point (I don't yet own livestock), and hope to get perennial or re-seeding annuals with substantial root mass to break up heavy clay North Carolina soils. Recommendations for species / mixes / seed sources? I've done some preliminary research, but am hesitant to buy mixes without specific input from silvopasture practitioners.See More
"definitely listen to them, and not me!"
"woooooey!
A year or two of goats or sheep to help thin the underbrush? Then a season of pigs to disturb the ground for seeding (don't over-winter them... send 'em to the butcher instead)? Obviously you'd need to come through with your…"
Searching for tree seeds
Hey y'all,I'm in search of tree seeds - fruits, nuts, fodder, N fixers, etc. Do you have favorite seed/nut sources or cultivars? I'm looking for production and vigor. Disease resistance will reveal itself over time (I buy into Mark Shepard's approach to selection). My zone is 7b, but I expect it will feel more like zone 9 by 2050, and hope for species that can live in zones 5-9. Yay weather volatility!See More
"You could also align felled trees on contour (or 1% slope towards ridges) to slow runoff and increase nutrient retention during heavy rains. (Think keyline design). Making brush piles for wildlife sounds like a lot of extra work."
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- I'm the director of a nature-based children's summer camp on a 96-acre property, interested in environmental education and ethics.
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Shade-tolerant forage seed species and sources?
Started by Ben Harris. Last reply by Ben Harris Aug 7. 7 Replies 0 Likes
As I thin some woods and open up some edge lines, I'm hoping to seed some perennial shade-tolerant forages. I'm mainly focused on wildlife at this point (I don't yet own livestock), and hope to get…Continue
protecting young trees during fly season
Started by Brett Chedzoy. Last reply by Kable Thurlow Aug 3. 3 Replies 1 Like
As we get ready to move our 5 bulls from the "bull pen" pastures this weekend off to their respective breeding groups and other parts of the farm, I'm reminded that we're currently at the height of…Continue
Starting a silvopasture in the woods
Started by Joe Repetur. Last reply by Joe Repetur Jul 22. 6 Replies 0 Likes
We have about 20+ acres of woods we can use as a silvopasture, but we're not sure how to start it. The woods are a mess, and we're not sure if we should "clear cut" and start over, or?? We have a lot…Continue
Silvopasture class in Albany NY
Started by Joe Repetur Jul 19. 0 Replies 0 Likes
I picked up a copy of The Stockman Grass Farmer newspaper and saw a flyer for two upcoming classes they are going to have September 25th-27th in Albany NY. The first is Grazier's Multi Species…Continue
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