Recommend a Grass for This Enviroment

[Hasbeen]

I'm currently in the middle of having timber cut on about 150 acres of mountain on my place. The logger wants to sew winter wheat on the logging roads when finished. I had one semi-flat bench about the size of a football field about 300 ft up the mountain that I had them clear cut with the idea that I could use it as a wildlife attractant or maybe even pasture a little on it with the cattle grazing up the old logging roads to get to it from time to time. Of course I plan to get some soil samples and recomendations from the local soil conservation office, but I've found it best to have some idea of what I want before talking to them. The soil, after being buried under several inches of thick leaves for many years looks dark and rich. The flat bench will be full to mostly sunny, the roads of course will be mostly shaded. I have turkey, deer, and elk living on the mountain at this time although not in great abundance except the turkey. There are a couple of small (maybe 2x2) permanent water holes near the flat area where water seeps out of one of the coal seams even in very dry weather. What do you think?

 

[Herefordcross]

Fescue is a surething just about anywhere in the east

 

[MillIronQH]

What are the native grasses?That's what I'd go with and I'd talk long and hard to the loggers about the wheat.The forest service would be the people I'd be talking to. They figured out that introduced, non-native seed can push the native plants out and actually drive wildlife away from an area. I'd bet a mixture of native grasses will produce a better long term effect.

Talk to your ag-man but talk to the forest service people in your area to. Just remember they both have an agenda.Z

 

[Stocker Steve]

If you are after wildlife then skip the fescue and plant a local wildlife mix. They usually contain a clover/cool season grass blend.