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Fuyu Persimmons
$24.00
Every knowledgeable deer (and deer hunter) knows the only thing better than having a loaded persimmon dropping her sweet treats is having a GROVE of “simmons” to choose from. Those single trees are great but it seems the deer don’t go too far out of their way for just one tree. If you really want to bring ‘em in close from great distances, establish patches of trees to see some real results. Since persimmons can produce fruit on small stature trees, you may also want to plan ahead by planting a faster growing tree to hang a stand in nearby.
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Sawtooth Oak-4-6 ft
Type: Cerris Oak (not red or white)
Zone: 5 - 9
Soil pH: 4.4 - 7.1
Mature Height: 80'
Wildlife Value: Large early dropping, abundance of acorns favored by deer and most all other wildlife.
Site Preference: Must have plenty of sun and prefers fertile, well-drained soil to thrive and produce heavy mast crops.
Nut Maturity Date: September to October
Alias: Oriental Oak, Gobbler Oak
Sawtooth oak has been an American citizen for quite some time, and proves itself a winner in our book as the first to provide hard mast for all walks of wildlife. Acorns rain down annually, at a critical time when other oaks haven’t even thought of shedding. Sawtooths are so productive that we can fill the back of a pickup with acorns from three trees!
Trail camera folks and early season bow hunters should all agree that sawtooth oak is a winner. Plant a few groves near the cabin or close to your property’s perimeter for a low impact, easy access, and early season “sure thing” hunting spot.
Acorns drop from mid-September to mid-October and as early as year six from seed on better sites, but we’ve seen them produce younger than that. This particular seedling comes from a ‘gobbler’ selection which we believe produces a heavier crop than the larger seeded strains.
Crabapple Tree
Its no secret that deer absolutely hammer apples and crabapples, and we’ll go as far to say there may not be a more effective “draw and hold” to deer than a big grove of them. However, a big orchard of fancy named varieties can be a rather expensive and time consuming chore for the weekend warrior or gamekeeper to undertake…meaning less time and money spent managing the rest of your property when you are busy spraying for bugs and diseases that high end apples often require. To those who can put forth the extra effort and expense to plant and manage the larger, grafted cultivars we applaud you. That being said, we have a solution we believe may be a better option for most wildlife oriented folks, and it’s available in our super stout, yet seedling-sized “wild” crabapple.
Our “wild” crabs are actually seedlings from our favorite crabapple selections and wild types such as: Dolgo, Transendent, Chestnut, Centennial, Whitney, and Prairie crab. Having a mixed bag of genetics and drop times from hardy, heavy bearing, disease tolerant favorites in an economical, and simple to establish and maintain rapid mast seedling should be a no-brainer to anyone wanting to spread some apple madness on their place.
With our “wild” crabs, combined with tree tubes and a little extra TLC for the first few years of growth, expect flowering and fruiting to occur on some trees in as little as three or four growing seasons, with the remainders putting on heavy crops no later than seven or eight years. So if you’re looking for heavy crops of highly preferred apples dropping from late summer and on into fall, but don’t want to put your county extension agent on payroll, try our “wild” crabs on for size.
Zone: 4 - 8
Soil pH: 5.0 - 7.5
Wildlife Value: Excellent.
Site Preference: Full sun.
Fruit Maturity Date: Late Summer, Early Fall
Fruit: Pale green blushed yellow
Mulberry Trees
1.Stellar Growth Rates.
Red Mulberry grows incredibly fast! It can easily double or triple the growth rate of many of the more common wildlife friendly tree’s we’re all used to growing. Every tree lover needs to plant a few of these simply to watch them grow so fast!
2.Fruit Production at a VERY Young Age.
On a good site, it isn’t uncommon at all to see flowering and fruiting begin in the 3rd or 4th growing season. And considering the trees grow so fast, they have the capability to produce large quantities of fruits by the time they are 5-6 years of age. If you’re impressed by sawtooth oak, and the now popular chestnuts, you need to see what mulberry can do!
3.Deer LOVE to Eat the New Growth.
We don’t want deer eating the actual trees we plant, which is why we use tree protectors. What we do want, is deer eating the small volunteer sprouts growing under and around the parent tree. Deer simply can’t resist mulberry leaves, and they’ll hone in on areas where volunteer seedlings proliferate. If volunteer seedlings make it to the sapling stage, they can then be hinge cut to provide more food and cover.
4.First Fruits of the Year, and Wildlife Devour Them.
Mulberry fruits are the very first to mature, as early as late April in the deep south. That’s right- on years with an early spring, they can actually mature and begin dropping before turkey season is over in many states. Everything in the forest likes to eat mulberry fruits, so GameKeepers can use them for a multitude of scenarios such as: attracting late season turkeys, trapping predators (check your state regs), trail camera hotspots, increasing pollinator habitat, and attracting songbirds.
5.Great Snack for Humans.
Although not related, mulberries look much like Rubus species- blackberries, dewberries, etc. Mulberries mature sooner than the Rubus species, effectively lengthening your foraging season. Mulberries are extremely nutritious, carrying high contents of vitamins C, K, and B-1 along with a generous amount of iron and fiber. The flavor is mild, earthy, and sweet.
So whether your planting a small orchard on the edge of your food plot, a few trees in a clearing in the woods, alongside a walking trail or behind your cabin, Mulberry Trees are a MUST HAVE for any GameKeeper.
Zone: 5 - 9
Soil pH: 4.5 - 7.0
Wildlife Value: Favorite food of songbirds, wild turkey, opossum, raccoon, and hogs.
Site Preference: Moist hillsides, floodplains, river valleys. Prefer rich well drained soil.
Nut Maturity Date: Early Summer
