Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Erosion control and food plot plants?

I've got a freshly excavated area around my pond.

What would be a good choice of plants that meet the following criteria:

1) fast growing
2) low growing (no mowing necessary)
3) perennial
4) provides food for deer and turkey
5) will provide good runoff control

I was thinking a ladino clover (perennial) and buckwheat (annual) mix.

My two cents. I've got clover around one of my ponds. If the area is good soil (black dirt) and remains moist most of the summer clover does really well. If it's poor soil like clay or sand then clover won't work well.

I've never had much luck with buckwheat for deer, but that might just by peculiar to my area. I've found the most favored perennial things for deer and turkey have been clover and chicory. Deer will eat wheat and oats somewhat but those aren't perennial. My deer like rye grass way better than wheat or oats. I've found clover does best when by itself and not mixed with anything else. Since we are both in northern climates my findings might apply to your area. My solid clover around my pond is one of my best food plots.

For poor soils and erosion control I have planted flatpea. It really takes over and grows great. Grows pea pods with seeds that are supposed to be attractive to game birds but I can't prove that. Since it is a legume I would imagine deer would eat it too but I can't prove that either. I have it planted along my 1/4 mile driveway so it's hard to determine if wildlife gets any benefit from it. It is like a vine that grows thick and covers things up.

Whatever you do, make sure to test the soil, use seed suppliers recommendations for soil prep and planting.

Thanks BZ...it is black dirt (excavated from the pond) and is in an area that stays pretty moist....so the clover might be the ticket.

I was thinking buckwheat only because I planted that one year and as soon as they started to flower the deer hammered it....but a pure clover plot around the pond might be nice.

Another good thing about clover is it takes N from the air and fixes it into the soil reducing the need for fertilizer. It can be hard to get clover started due to deer foraging. It is a good winter/fall crop here.

I always plant my clover in mid-August in my climate. Can be too dry in mid summer to keep a spring crop going. Planted in August it will grow to 4 inches tall by winter and have a good jump start after snow melt in spring. Yep, and you got to plant enough that the deer don't mow it down to the soil right away. Unfortunately that problem cannot be predicted and you just gotta try and see. And the importance of a soil test, like Ewest said, I go to farm co-op and buy only diammonium phosphate and potash to fertilize the clover. My planting area is also soil from my pond. It is all peat. Peat from a bog has zero nutrients. So I mix the right ratio of DAP and Potash for the clover, no need to waste money on nitrogen. I also sloped the ground away from the pond so any fertilizer runnoff does not go into the pond but elsewhere.

I will probably wind up doing an August or late July planting as well because there will probably be some excavator activity up until then

I also had a newly constructed pond put in this fall about 2 acres and I seeded the entire area with white clover for exactly all of the same reasons that you mentioned in your original post. It greened up quite well prior to winter. I am very interested in seeing how it fills in this spring.

In addition to the area around the pond, I was left with an almost acre sized flat area next to the pond where the topsoil was spread. I seeded that with white clover as well. I planted some apple, and pear and persimmion plots in this area. It should result in one pretty nice food plot.

Hey BZ do you have to re plant that flat pea or does it just reseed itself?