Help, What To Plant

Tennrock · Dec 20, 2017

Need help deciding what to plant in a 1 1/2 acre, overgrown cedar thicket (circled in yellow) that used to be a field before was last bushhogged 12 years ago. We really need a bedding area since we are surrounded by farmett's, cropland & cattle farms. The cedars have really smothered out any other growth and there is nothing to browse on. They do not seem to be using this area although there are a few rubs on the Eastern edge.
The main drawback is that this area is only accessible with a tractor/dozer through the neighbors land, so I would like to plant something and leave it to grow back up. Maybe some type of tall CRP grass??
The area is on a level ridge and we will be cutting all cedar and dozing the stumps. The hollers are steep & rocky with a rock bottom creek.

Map Legend:
A= 5 acre field behind home that is kept bushhogged
B/Red Line= pipeline
C= area select cut 12 years ago consisting mainly of Popular, Oak, Cedar, Walnut & Cherry
Blue Line= creek/holler
Green Line= property line
Yellow Line= new field, area to plant

treefarmer · Dec 20, 2017

The quickest, easiest, lowest cost thing to plant is loblolly, or even better Shortleaf Pine (more native and ice resistant). Pines also may provide an income in 15-20 years. They are low maintenance (leave them alone). Call your Area Forester with the Division of Forestry to find out about cost share programs in your area for both seedlings and planting labor and for advice on which pine would best meet your needs. If you plant grasses you will need to maintain them by burning, otherwise trees will take over again. Another option is to pay the TDOF to burn half of it for you at about $25/acre. Do this every 5 years and it will stay in grasses and forbs. Hardwoods such as Oak can be planted but it is difficult for them to compete with the wild stuff growing. The TDOF nursery is a great source of seedlings at very low cost. I took my biggest buck on the opening of rifle coming out of my neighbors young pine stand and took a doe a month later.

TNTomtaker01 · Dec 20, 2017

No need to plant anything. Get a chainsaw and get to work! If it was mine or I had landowners permission I'd go in the as soon as season is over and start hinge cutting. Once the sun could get to the ground natural vegetation will come back along with briars and honey suckle. Would make a great sanctuary.

Tennrock · Dec 21, 2017

So, no need to take the cedar completely out? It's so thick you can't move through it. I bet there are 150+ cedar on this 1 1/2 acre.

TNTomtaker01":so898pmz said:
No need to plant anything. Get a chainsaw and get to work! If it was mine or I had landowners permission I'd go in the as soon as season is over and start hinge cutting. Once the sun could get to the ground natural vegetation will come back along with briars and honey suckle. Would make a great sanctuary.

catman529 · Dec 21, 2017

Leave the cedars there, plant next to them. Deer may not feed in them, but they will bed in them and travel through them. Great cover and easy for deer to spot predators, so they feel safe in cedar thickets.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

MickThompson · Dec 22, 2017

You'd probably be best off to simply cut down half of the cedars and let nature do the rest. Cedar and pine like different soils and it sounds like yours is better suited to cedar. Cedar doesn't hinge cut well especially when it is growing shoulder to shoulder. Just cut them down to let the light in.

I wouldn't plant a thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk