reggiegun Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Hi, What's good to plant in your pheasants pens? Will be liming them soon then looking to plant something in there to grow for when poults come in August. Will need to be hardy. Reggiegun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 what are you looking for, what does it need to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggiegun Posted February 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 what are you looking for, what does it need to do? Just something to keep the poults interested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Out off couriosty why ae u liming ur pens? Is it to kill disease, the main disease/parasite we used to have problems with was gapes and it prefers a more alkali environment. U may be doing more harm than good. Wot type off soil? how much light? Does it have to last throu season or just the releasing period? Do u want it to have feed or just shelter/cover? Can u get access to cutivate it with a tractor/machinery? I'll be interrested in see some off the advice, been trying to do something similar for a couple of years now but with very litle luck, soil is very acidic peat so much so that the 35yr old crop of sitka is still only 10-15ft high, either heather or peat retardation, also tried to use a push cutivator/rotavator but wasn't up to the job so the seed bed would not be great. Tried willow, reed canary, tricale with very poor results. in meantine i have piled as much brash in wigwams as possible with straw scattered and hand feed a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggiegun Posted February 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Out off couriosty why ae u liming ur pens? Is it to kill disease, the main disease/parasite we used to have problems with was gapes and it prefers a more alkali environment. U may be doing more harm than good. Wot type off soil? how much light? Does it have to last throu season or just the releasing period? Do u want it to have feed or just shelter/cover? Can u get access to cutivate it with a tractor/machinery? I'll be interrested in see some off the advice, been trying to do something similar for a couple of years now but with very litle luck, soil is very acidic peat so much so that the 35yr old crop of sitka is still only 10-15ft high, either heather or peat retardation, also tried to use a push cutivator/rotavator but wasn't up to the job so the seed bed would not be great. Tried willow, reed canary, tricale with very poor results. in meantine i have piled as much brash in wigwams as possible with straw scattered and hand feed a bit I lime the pens every year, never had any problems with disease. Reggiegun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castletyne Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 I lime the pens every year, never had any problems with disease. Reggiegun What is it you use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJon Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Lime is a drying agent and drying a worm egg kills it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggiegun Posted February 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 What is it you use Hydrated Lime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 I planted Laurels, when they get up to about 8 feet then lay them like a hedge ( cut half way though then bend them over so that they touch the ground) but in a circle, then the bits touching the ground will take root, takes a few years but forms great cover about 3 feet high. Going to do two more pens next week. Shade under trees will prevent crops growing, even artichokes. One of my pens is stuffed with nettles, the poults love them. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I was going to say ours love nettles as well, we have grass rides and sections with laurels and short coppice they can roost in but letting the nettles grow on a fair area gives them an ideal cover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 My pen is quite small but has so much cover it can safely take a lot of birds. Only roosting is scrub willow and elder, ground cover is solid bramble, nettle and braken. We have to knock rides through the ground cover to clear space for feeders and drinkers before we release. The pen is in a sunny glade, big beeches one side, big fir trees the other. Going to try some snowberry and possibly Laurel in a 25 year old wood where the canopy has closed and killed off nearly all ground cover, you can see almost end to end through the wood now whereas ten years ago it was solid bramble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 the only issue with snowberry is it has little cover low down and obviously is deciduous. We have a fair bit and its ok but they can run very well under it and beaters struggle to get through it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2244tone Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 let some light in and let the brambles take hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 I like the idea of planting some laurel in woods as ground cover; however, can laurel not get out of hand very quickly? Where do you get the laurel to plant or do you just take cuttings off existing laurel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Laurel will take years and years to get carried away and can still be cut back easily. Best option is to find some in woodland and start bending over the lower branches and burying them and letting them take root. Then cut from the original dig up and transplant. The best bit is they will provide cover all year for pheasants to roost in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Laurel will take years and years to get carried away and can still be cut back easily. Best option is to find some in woodland and start bending over the lower branches and burying them and letting them take root. Then cut from the original dig up and transplant. The best bit is they will provide cover all year for pheasants to roost in Thanks the tip. There are a couple of woods on our shoot that are short of a bit of cover so I think I will try this. When is the best time to plant Laurel? Also I find that Woodcock like Laurel for cover. When I am bending them, will I cut half way through the branch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Leave the branch fully connected, they bend pretty easily. As for time I'm not sure most trees you plant in autumn but I would guess laurel you can vary more depending on how dry it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukkat Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 used laurell very sucesfully on my dads shoot, we spent (if you cant get cuttings etc) from the localgarden centre, depending onthe size of the bush etc and your budget, works great, very hardy and tbh its not that fussy on the soil, other options for short term we used a few felled christmas trees and even planted a few as well. glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pond digger 007 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Holly can add some evergreen cover, it's slow to get going but is tough. It's also a native unlike laurel. Laurel isn't invasive like Rhododendron and can be purchased cheaply, pot grown. Buy small bushy plants 1-2ft tall for good establishment. Pot grown can be planted any time but late spring is best however soil conditions should dictate exactly when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobydog Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 Our woods have brambles and holly bushes they work a treat, just some dogs do not like brambles. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 used laurell very sucesfully on my dads shoot, we spent (if you cant get cuttings etc) from the localgarden centre, depending onthe size of the bush etc and your budget, works great, very hardy and tbh its not that fussy on the soil, other options for short term we used a few felled christmas trees and even planted a few as well. glenn How much did it cost to buy them? How long does it take for them to become established? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pond digger 007 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 How much did it cost to buy them? How long does it take for them to become established? Try your local forestry nursery who will supply a lot cheaper than the garden centre. But! Dont dwell on the cost of plants. A tree or shrub will outlast you, get better looking every year and you'll soon forget the cost. Also, the cost of establishment is by far the biggest expense in tree and shrub planting if you put a value on your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ukkat Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 we planted some med size i think they were about 15 to 20 pounds at the time, the next season they were twice the size and year 3 we did what one of the other postes mentioned and pinned the lowest ones so they took root, by year 4 we had the whole ride prettymuch covered, as i said we also suplemented with crimbo trees,planted and cut, its surprising how0 long they last and how much cover they provide too. glenn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zab10 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Share Posted February 7, 2013 if you plant them soon you should be able to buy them bare root a lot cheaper than potted , but you will only have about another month to do it . try any nursery local to you and they will be able to advise on plants which give good ground cover . we planted willow in our old pen and the birds loved it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pond digger 007 Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 I seem to recall Lonicera nittida (a shrubby Honeysuckle) been recommended. You could ask about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.