HotShot! Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 How many acres in total is it going to be ? Also is it a long or short term agreement. If it is going to be different patch next year then I would definitely go for the mustards or some sort of wild bird mixture. If it is going to be permanent after this year then I would go for artichokes. They provide brilliant cover. The first year they are a bit thin but the pheasants still love them. ! By the fourth year you will have to harvest them. We did this with a grimme potato harvester. We just got the ridgers and re ridged the rows. There was enough small seeds come out the back that there was no point in re planting. Then you can sell the seeds to another shoot. be careful not to the neighbours else they will be steeling all your pheasants ! Also I would advise you to miss a foot every 8 foot else you will not be able to get through them and the beaters will hate them. Hope this helps. HotShot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalfordninja33 Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 We planted Artichokes two years ago on one of our drives where other cover crops wouldnt grow very well. They were very patchy in the first year, sown by hand, now they've thickened up really well. To the point where we'll be harvesting them to fill in the patchy areas. Its made a poor drive into one of the best drives on the shoot. I'm lead to believe they're not cheap to buy, although we had an oppotunity to harvest our own from a neighbours shoot for the price of a bottle of scotch! We top them in January then will culivate them in the spring i expect. If anyone can tell me exactly when they need to be turned over I'd be grateful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeperchris Posted January 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Shalfordninja33 you dont need to turn them over they will regrow quite readily. You only need to turn or row them up if they get too thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalfordninja33 Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Thanks Chris, I'll leave them alone for another year in that case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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