Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management What to sow around cleaned out pond site?

Our pond has just been renovated(cleaned out, lined, and packed with clay). Wondering what would be the best thing to plant around the perimeter and the adjoining hillside for wildlife(deer and turkey). One of the hillsides has been cleared and part of it has the spoils from the pond bottom spread out. Obviously need something to hold the soil pretty quick. Hillside is very steep and will likely be mowed once a year at best simply to keep it from becoming a jungle. Any thoughts?

This late in the year you could put down Oats. They'd germnate in a week or so providing they have soil moisture and are in good contact with the soil. That'll give you more time to research exactly what to plant. The local feed mill had feed oats for $12/50# bag. I just planted some at 80#/acre. They should be popping up in a week.

Being in TN you should be able to establish some permenent cover yet but you will have to plant in the next week or so. I would plant a conservation grass mixture and a couple of pounds of white clover to it. I would also put down oats as a cover crop at 50/60 lbs per acre. Check out stock seed farm for there conservation mixture, works pretty good.

I have been getting native plants established on my property. For quick stablization, oats are hard to beat as has been stated. Native seed can be sown with oats. Natives have deep root systems and stabilize soil very well. With a very steep hillside, safety could be an issue with mowing. Natives could be burned and you may never need to mow the hill at all.

Like winter rye, fast growth like oats but is far hardier and more tolerant of poor conditions.

I would plant 100 lbs of winter rye and 5 pounds of crimson clover per acre ASAP. Then in the spring you can look at planting a native mixture as spring is more conducive to native grass/perennial planting. I can give several excellent sources for a native grass/perennial mixture if interested.

I just sowed tall fescue, so I hope I have time for it to come up.

This is exactly what your county NRCS office is for. They will not only have recommendations and ideas, but will provide the local sources for seed. You can ask them for the contact of your state wildlife biologist and reach out to him/her for more thought.

Thanks!

Once you have that information, and if you want to compare blends and prices, here's what one place recommends for dams:
http://www.turnerseed.com/site/TankDamMix.asp

I've never planted their seeds, but I use their on-line information as a point of reference. Remember, they are down South, so I don't know how that blend compares to what the NRCS will recommend.

I wish our county NRCS office was worth a darn...