wetlands and buffers

[jdavis]

I plan on putting some buffers and 10 acres of wetlands on the farm. Anyone have any info.on this or have done this simlar thing in the past. I want a good bedding area and food source out of it. I plan on putting big blue and native grass for the buffer and sometime type of food between the wetlands. Also want to set the wetlands up for some duck hunting. Any suggestions??

 

[Windwalker]

You need some switchgrass in the bedding area or heavy wet snow will ride it flat. Just a idea.

 

[Greywolf]

I'm sure your local NRCS office can set you up with all kinds of info. Might even pay you some for doing it. Or maybe that's what you're doing already. For a good planting try to get a diverse a mix as possible. I'd stay away from switch grass if it was me - the native switch is ok but a lot of these cultivars that they sell will outcompete everything else you plant and you'll end up with solid switch and nothing else. Prairie cordgrass is good for wet sites. Then plant your drier site stuff(like big bluestem, indian grass, side oats gramma,little bluestem)in the spots that are on higher ground. If you plant a lot of flowers in the mix you'll attract a lot of insects which will provide food for baby turkeys and quail. Native flowers like new england aster, bottle gentian, blazing star, black-eyed susan, golden alexanders, yellow coneflower, sawtooth sunflower, cup plant, and wild bergamot grow well on wet sites.