For those who plan their spring planting early, Chestnut Hill Outdoors offers a vast array of tools and knowledge hunters need to enrich their land and ensure that the plants thrive for many years. Mast orchards are a very effective and popular way to attract and hold more wildlife. Savvy hunters should remember the 5 Ps: Proper Planting Prevents Poor Performance.
Planning is essential to maximize a property’s potential to hold and feed whitetails. First, select the optimal site for each specific variety of trees and shrubs. Pick a location with good soil drainage. Most mast-producing trees and shrubs prefer well-drained, sandy-loam soils but will grow on other soil types with good drainage. Avoid areas with soil that stays wet for long periods, such as creek bottoms or low spots that stay saturated during snowmelt in spring.
Plants are conditioned to withstand winter cold, but too much cold at the wrong time can be detrimental to growth and fruit production. Avoid frost pockets where cold air or late frosts settle at the bottoms of valleys, where unseasonable frosts may damage blossoms and fruits. Instead, seek areas with good air circulation, such as on the top or side of a hill.
Plants need the right combination of three things to grow: moisture, soil nutrients, and sunlight. Pick a location with good sunlight. In general, that means open areas. Old, abandoned fields make great places to establish mast orchards. If you have food plots, plant trees along the edges rather than in the middle, as deer will be more inclined to feed along the edges in daylight. You can even plant in the forest, provided you pick tree-fall gaps or canopy openings where the mast trees will have sufficient sunlight above.
Don’t be afraid to think backward. In addition to seeking the optimal site for each specific variety of mast-producing trees and shrubs, consider figuring out which species will do best in the chosen areas. Also, consider the position of each mast plot and try to position them so they work in concert with each other and other features on the landscape.
Chestnut Hill is the best place for you to purchase your food plot and deer attractant plants because they offer a large selection, their plants are specifically bred to attract deer, and they offer customers different-sized plants at different levels of growth. To ensure you receive the maximum benefit from their products, they also provide sound advice and instruction on proper planting and care.
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