# Ed's "Swamp Plot" Article



## DEERSLAYER

I heard Ed Spinazzola had an article in Woods-N-Waters on planting food plots in seasonably flooded area's, so I ran right out and bought a copy because I was hopeing to find out what I could plant that would handle the flooding when it comes back in the fall and would still be of interest to the deer, but it didn't mention anything about that (although it did say Ducks would dive down to get wheat so that must stay paletable) unless he meant those plants would stay good thru deer season. I'm not sure.  I get up to 3" of standing water in many area's (some area's 4"-6") during deer season, so this is of great interest to me. I don't have any experience (yet) on planting food plots for these conditions and was hoping to shorten my learning curve. Can any of you (Ed?) tell me what will handle this standing water in the fall and be quality forage the deer will still want to eat? 

I planned on corn but am looking for something else (a "green field") to put in strips into the corn field for gun hunting also. I have some idea's (like Alsike clover) but wanted to see what you guy's came up with. I'm hopeing that I can get a mix of some kind that would not only be an excellent fall attractant, but double as a summertime antler builder.


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## wagoneer

I also read the article with great interest as, like many of us, I have a bit of michigan swamp. 

I don't have the article with me for reference, but I think he was talking about areas that are wet in the spring and early summer but are 'dry' in the fall. It was perfect for my place which has puddles of water from snow-melt to July, then the soil is moist, but not soaking wet, until the snow covers it up again. What is the pattern on your place?


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## Doctor

There is a spot about 60 yds from where I usually hunt. It is underwater most of the spring. Usually dry or slightly moist in the fall. The dirt is darkish/gray in color and its consistency is like ash from a fire pit. I guess you would call that silt. The weeds/grasses grow to no end year after year across this entire spot. Most of the weeds reach over my head (6ft). I imagine the plot it is about 10,000 sq/ft. If there is deer forage that can be planted there I would be very interested. A perinnal planting would be the bomb. But I am guessing that I would be dreaming for a perinnal. I have ordered Ed's 1-2-3 book but am assuming the swamp plot stuff is not in it.


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## Jeff Sturgis

I've had good luck with clover in some of these type of areas. I wait for the area to dry out in the summer, spray a couple of times, and plant while still relatively dry. By planting with an ATV and some type of drag or roller, and doubling the width of your tire tracks you will basically leave a parallel design with alternating raised and lowered worked areas. The raised areas will experience adequate to good clover growth and the following year it will all fill in and can be maintained quite well. You want to do all you can and plant while still considerably dry. The planting may come in thin the first fall because of excessive water, but the planting can be filled in with a broadcasting the following year when the area is drier. In these areas I had more problems with weeds, but the area has still been successful with what there was to initially work with. The clover seems to use up quite a bit of water during the summer and I think these areas remain drier for longer because of the good clover crop. I have tried mixing in a significant portion of birdsfoot tefoil but the clover seems to take over completely for some reason. Also, I believe it's the alsike clover in the mix that does the best.


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## brokenarrow

http://www.wildlifeseeds.com/info/aeschynomene.html

Jointvetch or Deervetch
Aeschynomene is commonly know as American jointvetch or deervetch and is a coarse, reseeding annual legume that is well adapted to wetland, woody soils and grows best in moist fertile soils Aeschynomene can be flooded and regain growth upon receding flood conditions. This vetch can reach three feet in height and can provide high quality forage with 20% protein and has 70% digestibility and is nematode resistant which is important for southern forage supplements
Hulled seed plant about 15-20# to the acre. Broadcasting uses the higher poundage and precision planting takes the lower amount. Reseeding Annual but usually requires reseeding in Northern areas (north of Atlanta) due to seeds not being reproduced in shorter growing season.


Does anyone here know if we could sustain a crop in our climate? Maybe worth looking into though.


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## DEERSLAYER

It is only only completely dry June, July, August and September. Some times it is dry in May and the first part of October, but I can't count on it.


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## Jeff Sturgis

My wet areas begin to dry in May, are dry sometime in June, and are wet again in Sept. They are under snow from November through the end of April.


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## DEERSLAYER

I'm not terribly worried about the clover making it, but clover is not generally as good a draw as other planting's (like Brassica's, oats, etc.) in November and December. Plus I would like to have "one stop shopping" at my place, but I'm afraid if I planted the area with the plants Ed suggested in the article that I might end up with a yellowed, rotting mess when the water comes back and the deer would stay out of it. The article didn't really spell that senario out. Oh well, I guess I will just have to give it my best shot and hope for the best. Thanks for the input.


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## trout

Swamp Plot?

I was wondering what type of habitat we are plowing ?

Are these floodplains that support breeding animals or just areas prone to being wet after a rain?


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## johnhunter

First off, I've read some of this work on so-called "swamp plots", and there is no plowing involved, or, generally, no working of the soil at all. These plots are for seasonally wet areas.

I would caution food plotters interested in these plots to first make sure that you can identify any plant life that you will be killing when making such a plot. Hopefully, there will be no rare, endangered, or otherwise important critical damaged from creating these plots (of course, if it's just Reed Canary Grass, Stinging Nettle, or Water Hemlock, have at it!).

Also, Roundup should NOT be sprayed whenever water is present; the herbicide Rodeo, which contains glyphosate, has been approved for use in wetland areas, and is much safer for those conditions.


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## trout

Thank you for clearing  that up for me and others.


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## DEERSLAYER

The land has been checked out 3 times by 2 different agencies and there are no rare, endangered or otherwise critical plants. 

P.S. Hopefully Ed will see this post and educate us.


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## bishs

I have a field similar to what Ed was talking about. It dries up in June, and the Aslike clover springs up thick, when it dries. This area stays dry until the following spring. It sounds like your area floods again in the fall.

I would try buckwheat. It grows fast, easy and needs no fertilizer or weed control. You can plant it the first of July, and it will ripen by early fall. If memory serves me right it ripens in 6 weeks. Then when the water comes back the plant will be ripe. Turkeys and deer like buckwheat and I am sure the waterfowl would use it also.


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## DEERSLAYER

Buckwheat die's with the first frost. I need something that will last thru December, plus I want a mix and buckwheat isn't good for that. However, it is nice to hear Alsike clover came back up after being flooded for so long. I figured I would have to reseed it every year. Maybe I will get lucky and it will come back for me after things dry up, then maybe I can get another year or two out of it. Right now I am planning on planting Alsike clover, Ladino clover and a little Wheat as the main stuff. Then I will try some small experimental plots of a Brassica mix (no Turnips though), Oats, Rye grain, Alice clover, Pea's, Kale, Swede's and a few as of yet undetermined plants. Also, once I have the area logged off (heavily wooded with Red Maple right now) it may stay dry longer.


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## bishs

Buckwheat will be ripe before the first frost. It ripens and dries down like soy beans. When my buckwheat ripened a few years back, the deer were using it good. I quit growing it because it doesn't hold up to snow. 

My aslike clover comes back every year when the ground dries down. Clover isn't much of a winter crop either.
Good Luck..


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## bishs

Japanese Millet

Millets grow 1 1/2 to 3 feet tall and do better than other grains in moist soils although they are not prime winter foods for wildlife because they do not stand up to snow. Varieties include Japanese, red proso, white proso and German foxtail. Japanese millet actually favors damp lowlands, mud flats, water courses and river bottoms. When solid-seeded, millet is usually able to compete with weeds if they are controlled before planting. Plant from mid-May to early July at 8 to 10 pounds per acre. Expect to get 30 bushels per acre.


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## DEERSLAYER

bishs,

Are you saying that the as long as it ripens before the first frost the deer will continue to hit it after the a (or couple of frosts) frost? Were the deer hitting it through out deer season?


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## bishs

My buckwheat was ripe by September, the deer were eating the seeds through October. Buckwheat has a small seed, it doesn't look real appealing after it ripens down and dries out. It looks more like pheasant food. I was surprised to see all the attention it was getting. Maybe someone else can give their results. Once it ripens the frost does not effect it. People quite often plant buckwheat for a soil builder, they will often have late plantings of buckwheat which will be killed by frost if the buckwheat is still green.

Some people plant Japanese Millet on the wet banks around their ponds for ducks.


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## johnhunter

I have one clover plot that is adjacent to a restored wetland pond. The clover plot used to be a good acre in size, now it's about a half acre, having been infringed upon on one side by the wetland(which did not exist back when the plot was established). Alsike clover was a big part of the original mix.

There are portions of this plot that are underwater in the spring, and then again in the fall. The alsike clover is able to withstand this sort of flooding and looks great, even in the fall, when the "emergency spillway" portion of the wetland visibly flows right through the clover.

Not to name-drop, but, over lunch today, Ed Spin told me that grains can remain green and palatable in the fall, in spite of flooding. Flooded wheat is apparently a big draw for waterfowl.


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## DEERSLAYER

Cool  I guess my plans for the Alsike, oats, wheat and rye should work out nicely. Should be a lot better draw than just the clover. 

Lunch with Ed eh? You must rate pretty well!   I doubt I would get him out for lunch. Especially since I think he knows I would have an endless supply of detailed questions for him! LOL :yikes: 

Man I sure am looking forward to starting on MY habitat and food plots for a change! (Not that I don't enjoy help others do their land.) Even though it is only a narrow 20 acre strip (with a house on one end) I plan on making it the best 20 acres around!


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