Seed for Woods?

[WestKyTeacher]

Thanks to the Ice Storm of 09, I am now motivated to clean up the woods around my house a little. Here's what I've got: almost all the trees have tops and or limbs broken out of them, I have burned the floor of the woods and am currently removing all the under brush and majorly damaged trees. However, there is still decent shade. My question, what is the best seed to sow in the woods for growth and wildlife. This woods is on both sides of my house and in the back behind my clover food plot. My main goals are to have a grass to make the woods look nice as you drive up the drive, provide food for wildlife, open the woods up to view wildlife from inside the house more, and sow something that won't take over the clover or mess up my yard. Thanks for any help, sorry so long.

Forgot to ask, do I need to do anything else to the ground or just broadcast over it?

[PotashRLS]

Unfortunately an open park-like woods is less beneficial to wildlife. You won't get much to grow with shade either. 4 hours of sun is usually a minimum. You probably have to choose between quality wildlife habitat and a "pretty" woods. I doubt you can have both. Just my 2cents.

[dogdoc]

the only grass that I have found that deer will eat on a consistent basis is ryegrass. There are some new ryegrasses out there that have a higher sugar content and seem to be really palatable. Unfortunately most of your grasses aren't extremely palatable for a long period of time. They have a short window of palatability.

ryegrass makes a beautiful lawn type setting but can be a little invasive as it is a heavy reseeder. But the seeds are enjoyed by many birds and if kept mowed or during young stages it is eaten readily by deer. Stay away from any fescue--even though it grows nice under shade it have virtually no nutritional value to wildlife. Ryegrass is fairly shade tolerant--so if I was going to go with a grass ryegrass would be my choice.

[WestKyTeacher]

Thanks, I was thinking of the ryegrass, but wasn't sure how it would grow and if I can just broadcast it on top of the ground and it take off. Also, I won't be mowing it much, maybe a 2 or 3 times a year just to knock down the weeds.

[wtnhunt]

Might check with Martin(Mathews XT Man) on aberdart rye, it is a high sugar content rye. He may have a suggestion on a clover to go with it that could tolerate the shade as well.

Most perennial rye grasses are a lot more picky than what rye grains and annual rye grasses are. Would see what Martin thinks.

[Curdog]

Rye grass will grow anywhere..Last fall it was growing in my truck bed!

[redkneck]

I agree with Potash, I'd pick one or the other. You can get some rye grass to grow even in shade, but will look bad in the summer. If cosmetics are your main concern, then go to your garden center and find something that will grow in the shade, maybe some ivy or something, then supplement some feed for your animals. Honeysuckle also is shade tolerant (slightly), and deer love it.

[LETMGROW]

I sure know where you are coming from about the ice storm cleanup. We have been through it. We are beginning to clean up after the early heavy snow we got here at Thanksgiving. Today though, we are getting hit with another snow fall. The ground was bare yesterday, this morning we have 5 inches of wet heavy snow.

We have had real good luck with a food plot mix called "Forrested Trail" from the Heartland Wildlife Institute. It consists of a couple shade tolerant clovers. We have it planted near a stand of pines where it gets very little sunlight and it has grown very well.

You can check it out at www.heartlandwildlifeinstitute.com.

Lynn

[jcdeer54]

thats true

thats true

Rye grass will grow anywhere..Last fall it was growing in my truck bed!