Ash trees do they need a date ???

[marty]

Got my soil conservation and thinking about trying some ash trees. They have three different kinds. American ash,green ash, and white. Do they need another tree to pollinate them or do they do it on their own. Also is one better than the others? They will be used for deer to eat the fruit.
                     thanks.......marty:P:P:P:P:P

[Jeff]

Marty, by looking at your smilies on thet post, you seem to be lacking something.:D

[Ron Wenrich]

I believe you will find that they can pollinate on their own.  American ash is just another name for white ash.

It is really difficult to tell the difference between the ashes.  

I only question how much feed you expect to get for the deer.  Have you looked at any understory brushy shrubs that would be good for browse?

[marty]

 Yea ron I been looking at some other brush like honeysuckle and maybe some red osier. I have a bunch of sumac already that the deer eat. Any more that you would think of I'm all ears? Maybe something that will hold fruit into the winter time?
Thinking about persimmons but don't know if they'll grow........marty:[glow=color,strength,width][/glow]

[Ron Scott]

Do you have any white oak, a favorite for deer if you are going to plant trees for wildlife and later timber values. You may also try some of the winter or late ripening apples, maybe some pear trees. Plant what will do best on your soil types.

[marty]

I have one big white oak on my place ron but for the last four years it has had no acorns. Tried tree spikes to see if it just needed some vitamins.
Thinking about planting a lot of this stuff in the cut I had done this summer just so the deer will have natural browse and I don't plan to go into it kinda of like a safe zone. If I planted white oak seedlings in there would they grow with all the new growth coming up???.......Thanks......marty:)

[Ron Wenrich]

White oak is a fairly tolerant species.  But, you could go in and release them with not too much effort.

Beech is another nut bearer.

As pointed out, fruit trees do real well for deer.  I don't know how well beans grow in the woods, but, they seem to really love them.

[Ron Scott]

Marty,
You might have to use some herbicide to reduce the vegetative competition and then fence them from deer damage. An excellent wildlife food source though, so you may want to try for more oak.

[marty]

Got a lot of red and pin oak on the place but mainly looking for something I can plant in the cut where once I plant it I plan to stay out.Also looking for something that will grow rather quick. Where they had their landing zone I want to get something in there to fill in that spot. I plan to leave the main logging road they made through the center of the place and plant those roads in some clover maybe white dutch??    Thanks for all of the good info Ron..........marty ;D

[Ron Scott]

Good idea to seed the haul road and landing with a wildlife food mixture as you stated. What did you have cut? There is no problem with encouraging natural regeneration. Also some natural ground vegetation is good for diversity. Everything doesn't have to be planted. Let nature do some of it for you.

[marty]

Popple and some oaks. We left young oaks to grow.
One place there was all oaks but they were all pretty old. This is the area I was thinking of red pines and white spruce. Its about an acre. I'm going to plant some other trees pine and spruces that my bud has on his place. He is putting in a 2 acre food plot and told me to get all the little trees out. They are mostly 3-5 feet high. Going with some dogwood and switch grass also. You think this will work ok? It's all sand there and does not get a lot of water.........Thanks......marty :

[Ron Scott]

It should be ok. I'd be more prone to stay with the existing natural vegetation, oak and aspen if it was a dense stand and not go to conversions. Oak and aspen are excellent for your wildlife habitat.

[marty]

Thanks a bunch for the info ron........marty ;D