Honeysuckle Food Plot

[deerhunter5555]

My farm has several hillsides that surround my food plots that are too steep to plow or plant. I know deer love honeysuckle in late winter and was thinking of planting these hillsides in honeysuckle and fertilizing them as sort of a late season food source. I was wondering what you guys thought about which type I should plant. I have seen 2 basic types of honeysuckle in my forestry catalogs, the vine-type and the kind that grows in bush form. Any suggestions on what you've observed that deer like more? Thanks, Erich

[gates]

I have the native vine type on my farm. I have three large patches that I fertilize. The deer eat on that stuff all year. I have tried transplanting cuttings with no success. I have 1 fence row covered and two grown up ditches. The deer always take a bite or two and will bed in the stuff.

James

[Valley Station]

Gates,
Did you try cuttings early in the year, when there was plenty of moisture? I thought cuttings would work , but, had not tried it.
I put some cuttings in plain water the other day and they "rooted" in about (10) days.

[gates]

Valley,

No. I will try putting some in water this spring. I would like all my fences covered in the stuff. I also want to plant some autumn olives by the creek in my bottoms. I tried disking in some berries i collected under some bushes at my dads place but they did not come up. I wonder if you can plant cuttings to get them to root also. My dad has a fence row in autumn olives about 1/2 mile long and the birds love the stuff and it makes good cover for rabbits and nesting habitat for turkeys. Anywhere the bird crap he has autumn olive bushes. He planted his when you could buy them cheap from the dept of forestry. They won't sell them anymore, they are too invasive I think. What is the best time to cut them for rooting and replanting?

James

[Valley Station]

James,

Go to Google.com , and search for "automn olive". There has been a "big red flag" thrown out on how invasive automn olive is. Most agency are recommending that native bushes be used instead of olives.When it matures, it seems it chokes out all the native understory of plants. It has made me change my mind on planting it on our old farm.
Most of our WMA's and Peabody property has a lot of olives planted along roads and fence lines. It may be invasive,but, rabbits,quail,turkey, song birds love it. Sure smells good when it blooms in turkey season( early May).

[INKYHUNTER]

Valley, I have ordered a few autumn olives for planting. Do you know how long it takes a switch to become a fruiting tree.

[Valley Station]

Inky,
I don't know, but, probably in 3-4 years if planted were they get plenty of sun. They don't like shade.
A study has found that the fruit is high in Lycopene, a prostate cancer fighting anti-oxidant.

[INKYHUNTER]

Thanks for the info,Valley.