Tall Grass Screening Help?

Hi all,

I was wondering if I could get a bit of advice from you more experienced food plotters. The property I hunt has two agricultural fields that are seperated but a long strip of grass that is about 100 yards long and maybe 15 feet wide. Not sure what kind of grass it is but it is short and filled with weeds and I never see wildlife using it. I imagine that it was left untilled for erosion purposes by the farmer because one field is on kind of a steep grade and the lower field is flat.

Anyways, I am wanting to plant something benefitial to wildlife in this strip of land. What I am looking for is something with a decent root system that will still serve as erosion control, but also something that grows tall so I can use it as screening cover to get to and from stands. I would prefer something that grows at least 5 feet tall. Something that the wildlife can eat would be nice too. Lastly, it needs to be something this is relatively low maintenance because I am deploying overseas in June and will not be able to do anything with it until I am back the following year.

Is there is anything that fits all of this criteria? Thanks in advance.

 

check out frigid forage plot screen may be something your looking for

 

I have personnaly never planted it, but I hear Egyptian Wheat would serve you very well. Or maybe switchgrass would be another option.

 

I agree Egyptian Wheat sounds like a great thing to use for screening, never done it myself but it's planned for next year. Another good option is Sorghum. Switchgrass is great but would be more of a long term fix...I do know and am ordering a hybrid sorghum mix with switchgrass. The sorghum will act almost like a nurse crop for the switch to take hold the first year.

 

egyptian wheat works great as a screen but is an anuual. so erosion control would not be real effective. I love my egyptian wheat though it is great stuff. here is what mine looked like this fall used it to screen my brassicas plot. it loves nitrogen just like corn.
EG wheat is tall stuff on right side of picture.


here it is standing even in snow. look whats feeding in plot behind the EG wheat. thats right a 3 1/2 yr old eight point 11 days into our rifle season and he is still comfortable enough behind it to feed in daylight. blew me away!

 

If my plots end up coming together EG wheat is what I plan on using to offer the deer a little security.

 

Egyptian Wheat works great. Just make sure you plant it early enough to reach the 10 to 12 foot height. It needs alot of Nitrogen.

 

How early should it be planted? I plan on using some this year to screen a plot in

 

I planted mine third wek of may. put urea on it, which is 46-0-0.

 

Can you do it earlier? Like March/April?

 

You will want to plant it after last frost date. I am in central michigan, the earliest i would ever plant it would be last week f april. It doesn't get tall for first month and a half, then when July hits it takes off. It's kinda like corn in that respect. It goes from knee high to ten feet in about three weeks. It is a 120 days to maturity. Mine planted in last week of may easily eclipsed 14 feet tall by end of august. We currnetly have 6 inches of snow and its still standing.

 

Where do you buy it? I notice a lot of online seed stores are sold out.

 

You have to order it early. Last year i bought mine from cooper seeds online. It appears as though they are out. will look into other sources.

 

In Ohio, I would plant Memorial Weekend (give or take a week). Any chance of frost has to be gone. It is similar to corn.
Our webstore will have Egyptian Wheat (plotscreen) for sale this spring.
www.northwoodswhitetails.net

John

 

Switchgrass. Low maintennance, great bedding cover, perennial, and its a native

 

Thank you sir

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Dakota switchgrass is the way to go...its a little fussy starting up.i would spray round up on the area you want to plant it first..